From Hate to Love
by sparklespaz16
Summary: Hermione is made Head Girl and Draco is made Head Boy. They must share a dorm together for their entire 7th year. Follow their journey from being enemies to falling in love. My first fic! Please read and review!
1. Receiving Their Letters

Hermione Granger rolled over in her bed and yawned stretching her arms lazily over her head. She squinted as the bright sunshine from outside glinted into her room. She rubbed her eyes sleepy and sat up. She bent down to peer underneath the bed.

"C'mon Crookshanks! Wake up you lazy cat!"

As the cat purred and slunk out from under the bed to wrap itself around her feet, an owl landed outside her window and tapped on it.

Hermione hurried to let the owl in before the neighbors noticed anything suspicious. She pet the owl and took the letter from it. She opened the envelope and read the note inside,

_To Miss Hermione Granger,_

_It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected for the position of Hogwart's Head Girl for the following year. Your badge is enclosed inside this envelope. Please arrive at the King's Cross 9 and ¾ Platform at 10 o'clock to receive further instructions from Professor McGonagall on helping the returning and new students board the train. The Head Boy will also be there to help you. I wish you the best in this next year._

_Sincerely, _

_Professor Dumbledore, Head of Hogwarts_

_P.S. After the sorting ceremony you and the head boy will meet with me in my office. The password is "Fizzing Whizbees"._

Hermione took her new Head Girl badge out of the envelope and admired it for a minute. She grinned and let out a whoop of joy before rushing downstairs to tell her parents the good news.

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Draco Malfoy groaned in his sleep as his door opened and a solemn house-elf stepped inside.

"Master Draco, your mother says its time for you to be up." it squeaked urgently.

Draco rolled and glared at the ceiling before heaving a huge sigh. "Tell my mother I'm awake." The house-elf nodded and shut the door quietly behind itself.

Draco rolled back over and stuck his face in his pillow. "Damn. I can't believe summer's almost over and within a week I'll have to go back to Hogwarts and listen to more praise for Potter. And his two best friends."

He grimaced as he thought of the Golden Trio. "Stupid Gryffindors." he mumbled. He sat up as an owl knocked on his window.

Getting out of bed, he crossed the room in three long strides and let the owl inside. He removed the letter and pet the owl. He glanced at who it was from. "I already got my 7th year letter from Hogwart's" he thought, frowning at the envelope. He opened it and read the note inside,

_To Mister Draco Malfoy,,_

_It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected for the position of Hogwart's Head Boy for the following year. Your badge is enclosed inside this envelope. Please arrive at the King's Cross 9 and ¾ Platform at 10 o'clock to receive further instructions from Professor McGonagall on helping the returning and new students board the train. The Head Girl will also be there to help you. I wish you the best in this next year._

_Sincerely, _

_Professor Dumbledore, Head of Hogwarts_

_P.S. After the sorting ceremony you and the Head Girl will meet with me in my office. The password is "Fizzing Whizbees"._

Draco smirked for a minute. His father would be proud and it wasn't easy to get on his father's good side. He removed the badge from the envelope and admired it. He turned around to go downstairs and show his newest accomplishment to his parents.

As he crossed the room to his door, he was struck with a thought. "I wonder who the Head Girl will be?" He thought for a minute. "I don't care who it is as long as it's not Mudblood Granger," he said aloud to himself. He smirked once more as he opened to door and walked confidently downstairs to the dining room.


	2. Meeting the Head Boy

_At the Barrier between Platform 9 and ¾. 9:59 a.m. on August 30__th_

Hermione glanced around to make sure no one was looking before she ran through the brick wall barrier to the other side. She emerged onto Platform 9 and 3/4 in front of the idle Hogwarts Express, nearly bumping into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry." she said apologetically as she looked up to see who she had bumped into.

"Watch where you're going, Mudblood, and you won't have to apologize."

Hermione stepped back and glared at Draco. "What are you doing here, ferret?" she said icily.

Draco glared at her and then noticed the Head Girl badge pinned on her robe. "Oh, no." He groaned, "Don't tell me you're Head Girl."

"Oh, but I am." Hermione began to say before she stopped herself mid-sentence. "Wait, YOU are Head Boy? What were they thinking letting a slimy git like you into such a powerful position?" she sneered. Great. Just great. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "I bet your daddy bought you the position, didn't he?"

Draco's temper flared but he kept it down. "Actually he didn't. I got it by myself, Mudblood." he snapped back.

They were interrupted by Professor McGonagall hurrying over to them. "There you two are! It's already after ten! I've been waiting for you inside the Heads Compartment in the train. Hurry, the students will start arriving soon."

With one last glare at each other, the two students followed the professor onto the train.

"This will be where you will stay during every train ride unless you are patrolling the cars." Professor McGonagall said, as she showed them into a beautiful compartment. "Sit, sit." she beckoned them. Once Hermione and Draco were seated, the professor sank down with a weary sigh. "Alright, you two will be meeting with the prefects in here right after the train starts up. You will tell them what cars to patrol and for how long they must patrol those cars. Since you have both been prefects, you know what to say from previous speeches. Now we don't have much time. Let's get out onto the platform and make sure everyone gets on safely." She stood up and hurried out of the compartment.

Hermione and Draco stood up and followed her, keeping their distance from each other.

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"Hermione!" two deep voices rang out from behind her as she watched students board the train. She turned around and smiled widely as Harry and Ron strode up to her and wrapped her into a big hug. She stepped back and looked up at them. "Harry! Ron! You're both so tall!" she said delightedly. "And handsome." she said grinning wickedly. "You two are going to have trouble beating the girls off this year."

Harry was now 6'1" and still had his messy black hair, but it seemed to add a sort of boyish charm to his face this year. His face was more chiseled and his emerald green eyes were enough to make any girl swoon. He stood straighter and even through the robes you could tell Quidditch had done him a lot of good. His arms were more sculpted and Hermione wondered for a brief second how many girls would be following him around this year.

Ron towered above the girls at 6'3". His red hair had also gotten some golden highlights that complemented his features. His blue eyes shone happily and crinkled a bit when he smiled. He was also toned from Quidditch practice and he stood straight like Harry.

Harry and Ron both blushed slightly. "You look great, 'Mione." Ron said enthusiastically. "Yeah." Harry said nodding, looking Hermione over.

Hermione smiled and began to say something but was tackled over by a red blur. "Hermione! You look amazing!" Ginny exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

"You look gorgeous, Gin." Hermione said truthfully. Ginny had certainly taken advantage of the summer. She was now 5'6". She was a bit tanner and her red hair had golden highlights in it, compliments of the sun. Her blue eyes sparkled and her cheeks were slightly rosy. She had grown a bit taller and filled out more evenly.

Hermione had also grown a bit taller during the summer. She was now 5'7" She had filled out nicely and her hair had eventually tamed itself from big bushy hair into soft chestnut waves that fell below her shoulders. Her eyes shined happily when she smiled. Really, she was just as gorgeous as Ginny if not more so.

The two girls grinned at each other before turning their attention back to Ron and Harry.

Something caught Harry's eye and he leaned closer to inspect Hermione's badge. "Congratulations, Hermione!" he said in surprise. "You didn't tell us you were Head Girl."

Ginny squealed happily. "Really?! Congratulations, 'Mione!" she said excitedly, enveloping Hermione in another hug. "That's great," Ron said, smiling warmly at her.

Hermione blushed from all the attention. "Thanks, you guys."

"Shall we board?" Ron said in his deep voice. He grinned at the two girls and Hermione found herself blushing slightly. He held out his arm to her and she took it gladly. Harry offered Ginny his arm and together they boarded the train.

Hermione walked with them to an empty compartment but didn't sit down. "I'll see you guys at Hogwarts." she said, a bit disappointed she couldn't sit with them. "Where are you going, 'Mione?" Ginny asked curiously.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I've got to go sit in the Heads Compartment during the ride to meet with the prefects. That prat Malfoy got Head Boy." she said, her eyes narrowing.

"If he tries anything or says anything rude to you, just let me and Ron know. We'll take care of him for you." Harry offered. "Thanks," Hermione said smiling. "But hopefully nothing happens." She turned around and closing the door behind her, walked toward the Heads Compartment.

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After the meeting with the prefects was over, Draco took his robe off and flung it on a seat across from him. He leaned back in his seat and stretched his legs across the floor. He glared at Hermione before muttering something under his breath about mudbloods and then turned to stare out of the window. Hermione ignored him and took a book out of her bag. She glanced over at Malfoy. He, too, had grown up during the summer. His body was lean and even more toned than Harry and Ron were. She could see tell that he had his abs were well toned, even through the green shirt he was wearing. His face was more chiseled and his chin wasn't as pointed as it once was. His hair was no longer gelled and slicked back but instead hung over his forehead in a way that almost invited you to run your fingers through it. It looked soft and Hermione found herself wanting to touch it. She mentally slapped herself. This was _Malfoy_, the king of prats. She started to turn her attention back to the book but Malfoy interrupted her thoughts.

"Do you like what you see?" he asked slyly.

Her eyes widened and she found herself lifting her head to stare into his eyes. She'd never before noticed how silver they were. _Damn it Hermione! He's a prat! A handsome prat though. _she thought. "What are you talking about, Malfoy?" she said irritably.

He scoffed slightly. "I noticed you checking me out. I can see your reflection in the mirror."

"Why were you looking at my reflection?" she challenged him. "Checking me out as well?"

His eyes darkened slightly. He had been checking her out in the mirror. He had noticed she had grown into a gorgeous girl. But he wasn't about to let her know that. "Even if I was," he sneered, "you're still just a filthy mudblood."

Her temper flared. "Well, Malfoy, at least I take enough pride in myself by not bowing down to a Lord Voldemort. Unlike someone else in here." She glared at him. "Death Eater."

His tone was menacing, "Don't talk about something you know shit about." he spat out, his eyes darkening to a pure hatred at her words. He swiveled his head back toward the window.

Hermione was taken aback. _What was that all about?_ she wondered.

The compartment was silent except for her page turning for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts.


	3. The Sorting Ceremony

_In the Great Hall. The Sorting Ceremony is just about to begin._

Hermione brushed a piece of back behind her ear and sat down at the Gryffindor table between Harry and Ron. "Hello, boys." she said brightly. She was chatting with Ginny when the doors of the Great Hall swung open and Professor McGonagall led the first years inside.

Hermione smiled kindly at them. She remembered being a first year and how she had been nervous before being sorted.

Professor Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat. The noise in the Great Hall stopped and everyone stared expectantly toward the front of the room.

"To those joining us this year, welcome to Hogwarts." Professor Dumbledore said. "To those of you returning, welcome back. I hope that this year will be fun and exciting for you all. There are, however, a few rules. The Forbidden Forest is, to all students, forbidden. No student may be out past curfew except the prefects patrolling the halls. There are also a number of items that have been added to Mr. Filch's No-no list, many of which are from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes." He grinned affectionately at Ron and Ginny who grinned right back at him.

"I believe that concludes the rules. Let the sorting begin!" Dumbledore declared.

As he sat back down, Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a list of names in her hand. The 17 first years looked at her anxiously. "When I call your name, step forward and I will place the hat on your head. The hat will sort you into a house. Once you are sorted there is no transferring into another house."

She placed the sorting hat on the chair and it began to sing a song.

"_A thousand years or more ago,  
When I was newly sewn,  
There lived four wizards of renown,  
Whose names are still well known:  
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,  
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,  
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,  
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.  
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,  
They hatched a daring plan  
To educate young sorcerers  
Thus Hogwarts School began.  
Now each of these four founders  
Formed their own house, for each  
Did value different virtues  
In the ones they had to teach.  
By Gryffindor, the bravest were  
Prized far beyond the rest;  
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest  
Would always be the best;  
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were  
Most worthy of admission;  
And power-hungry Slytherin  
Loved those of great ambition.  
While still alive they did divide  
Their favourites from the throng,  
Yet how to pick the worthy ones  
When they were dead and gone?  
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,  
He whipped me off his head  
The founders put some brains in me  
So I could choose instead!  
Now slip me snug about your ears,  
I've never yet been wrong,  
I'll have a look inside your mind  
And tell where you belong!"_

When the song was finished, Professor McGonagall began to call up the first years.

"Amerci, Victoria."

The young girl looked extremely nervous as she stepped forward and sat on the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head and after a minute the hat roared, "Hufflepuff!" The girl looked relieved and skipped off to join the Hufflepuff table where the Hufflepuffs were cheering.

"Claunch, Ben."

The hat was barely on his head before it called out, "Ravenclaw!" The Ravenclaw table erupted into clapping as the boy joined them.

"De Caussin, Melissa."

"Gryffindor!"

……………….

"Young, Richard."

"Slytherin!"

As the last first year joined the Slytherin table, Professor Dumbledore stood up, his blue eyes twinkling merrily behind his half-moon glasses. "Let the feast begin!" he said cheerily and clapped his hands twice. Plates filled with food appeared on the table and the first years gasped in amazement.

Draco shook his head wearily as he heard one of the first year Hufflepuffs exclaim to another, "It's like magic!"

"They get stupider every single year, don't they?" he muttered to Crabbe and Goyle.

Crabbe opened his mouth to say something and a piece of food fell out. Draco wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk when you're eating?" he snapped. "I don't want to see your dinner."

Crabbe looked down at his plate in confusion. "What's wrong with my dinner?" he asked stupidly.

Draco groaned and rolled his eyes, looking around the Great Hall. His eyes caught sight of Hermione laughing along with those two idiots, Scarhead and Weasel. He narrowed his eyes and sent a glare at them.

Hermione felt as if someone were watching her. She looked up and met Malfoy's glare. She abruptly stopped laughing and glared right back at him. "Mudblood." he mouthed at her. Her eyes narrowed even more and her chocolate brown eyes turned even darker. "Stupid ferret" she mouthed back.

Draco gave her one last glare and was about to mouth another insult to her when Pansy plopped down beside him. He grimaced and prepared for an earful of her whiny voice.

"Dracoooo." she whined. "I owled you a million times this summer but you never once owled me back."

"Sorry Pans," he drawled, "I was a bit busy this summer."

"The Slytherin Sex-God was too busy to owl his own future wife?" Pansy asked, in her screechy voice.

Draco winced. God he hated her voice. It reminded him of nails on a chalkboard. "Pansy, you're NOT my future wife. You have never been," he said wearily.

Pansy ran her hand over his leg in a way she thought was seductive but was really just repulsive. "Drakie, you're just tired. I think you should go get some sleep tonight and then maybe tomorrow we can…_catch_ up on some activities." She flung her hair over her shoulder and batted her eyelashes at him.

Draco resisted the urge to vomit as he replied icily, "No Pansy. I'm not doing anything with you."

Pansy raised her eyebrow and said in a syrupy voice, "You're just grumpy. Tomorrow you'll be saying something completely different. But let me just remind you of your feelings." She attempted to straddle his lap and kiss him but Draco slammed his hands on the table, abruptly standing up.

The Great Hall quieted down a bit as Pansy shrieked as she fell onto the floor. "DAMN IT, PANSY! I SAID NO!" Draco yelled.

The Great Hall was now silent as Pansy pleaded, "But Draco."

"NO, Pansy." He stalked out of the room into the Entrance Hall, Hermione's eyes following him quizzically.

The Great Hall erupted into whispers and Hermione turned to Ron and Harry. "I wonder what that was all about."

"Who cares?" Ron sniggered. "I sure don't give a damn about Malfoy or Parkinson."

Hermione shook her head and turned back to her dinner.

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As soon as she had finished eating, she stood up and made her way out of the Great Hall, to Dumbledore's office. She found Malfoy waiting outside. "I was wondering when you'd leave Potty and Weasel." he said dryly.

She ignored him and turned to the statue that hid the entrance to the Headmaster's office. "Fizzing Whizbees," she said clearly. The statue moved to the right and stairway opened up to them. They walked up the stairs and found themselves in Professor Dumbledore's office.


	4. You Mean ROOMS, Right!

"Good evening, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger." Professor Dumbledore said pleasantly. He waved his hands at the two chairs in front of his desk. "Do have a seat." He reached over and picked up a jar that was on the edge of his desk. "Lemon drop?" he offered.

Hermione and Draco politely declined and sat back into their chairs.

"Alright then, lets discuss your Head business." Professor Dumbledore said. "You will be allowed in all four of the house common rooms. Every two weeks you will assign a new password for all house common rooms. You will be expected to meet with the prefects at least once a month, more if you prefer. You will assign each prefect a patrol time for each week. You two will patrol together for four hours, twice a week. You will also patrol Hogsmeade together for an hour on those Saturdays that visits to Hogsmeade are planned. Speaking of Hogsmeade, you will schedule the Hogsemeade days."

He cleared his throat and continued on, Hermione and Draco listening silently. "You will plan the Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Graduation balls. You may assign the prefects certain tasks to help with the planning if you wish or you may do all the planning by yourself. If there are any other balls you wish to have, then you must let me know before you start planning. Are there any questions?" he finished.

The two students shook their heads silently and the headmaster smiled. "Good," he said cheerily, "now let me show you to your room."

Hermione started. "You mean ROOMS, right professor?" she asked frantically. Draco's eyes widened as he realized what the Headmaster had said.

"Of course he means rooms, Granger." he snorted. "He can't possibly expect us to…"

"No. I meant room." Dumbledore said. "You two will be sharing a dorm for the room with two bedrooms, one bathroom, and one common room.

"We have to share a BATHROOM?" Hermione cried out shrilly.

"Well, yes." the professor said. "I'm sure you two will get along just fine because if you don't then I'll just have to find two other students who can fulfill the role of Head Boy and Head Girl."

Draco muttered something under his breath and glared at Hermione and Professor Dumbledore before turning around and walking down the staircase, back to the hallway.

"After you, Miss Granger." the Headmaster said courteously. Numbly, Hermione followed Draco out into the hallway. The Headmaster led them to the fourth floor, to a large painting of a pretty brunette and a handsome blonde man embracing. The two people smiled and waved at the new Head students and Professor Dumbledore.

"The password is _Duos Iunctum_." he said. The painting swung open and Hermione and Draco stepped into a common room nearly the size of the Great Hall. "Wow." Hermione breathed in awe.


	5. SLAM!

The common room was decorated in red, gold, silver, and green. There was a green couch and a red couch placed next to each other in front of a golden and silver fireplace. The warmth from the fireplace spread throughout the room, casting a soft glow of light on everything. There was a small kitchenette to the left of the common room door. In the middle of the back wall was a door which led into the bathroom. On both sides of the bathroom door was a staircase, the one on the left was green, and the one on the right was red. On the wall above the green staircase were the words _Draco Malfoy_ in script writing. On the wall above the red staircase were the words _Hermione Granger_ in script writing.

"This is where you will be living for the rest of the year." Professor Dumbledore said, sweeping his arm grandly. Hermione walked toward the red couch and sank down as if in a daze. Draco snorted as he watched Hermione. _I guess she's just not used to luxury. Of course a mudblood like her wouldn't be._ _Stupid mudblood. This isn't much bigger than my own room._

"Your belongings have already been brought up and are in your rooms. Good day." Dumbledore said, before backing out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Draco groaned disgustedly. "I can't believe I have to spend the whole year living with a mudblood." Hermione looked up sharply, her eyes narrowed. "What, are you going to go whine to your precious Death Eater daddy? Grow up, Malfoy. I'm just as good of a witch as you if not _better_."

"Don't talk about my father," Draco hissed.

"Aw, why? Protecting the family name, ferret? You and your father are just the same." Hermione said mockingly.

Draco stepped toward her menacingly. "I'm _nothing_ like my father. So keep him out of it and don't talk as if you know me."

"I know all I ever _want _to know about you, Malfoy. All you are is another pathetic excuse for a wizard." Hermione snorted. "Bowing down to some half-blood. Lord Voldemort," Draco flinched at the name, "isn't even that great. I mean he can't even defeat a baby.

"What, are you saying Harry's a greater wizard than the Dark Lord?" Draco asked, glaring at her.

"Harry's a better wizard than Lord Voldemort will _ever _be. He's a better wizard than **you** will ever be." Hermione said snidely.

"Granger's precious Golden Boy. Tell me Granger, which one are you with now? Is it Potty? Or that Weasel git? Or haven't they even noticed you're a girl yet?" Draco asked harshly.

Hermione's eyes widened and he could see that he had hurt her deep down. He felt guilty for a minute and then shook the feeling off. _I can't feel guilty for a mudblood. Malfoy's don't feel guilty. Ever._

The next thing he knew Hermione had stepped forward quickly and slapped him hard, harder even than in 3rd year.

His eyes blazed angrily and he caught her wrist and pushed her roughly toward the wall. "Don't. Ever. Slap. Me. Again. Mudblood. You got away with it once, but not this time." He hissed, looked down at her with hate filled eyes.

Hermione struggled against the death grip he had on her wrist. Terror filled her eyes and she unsuccessfully tried to wrench away from him. "Malfoy, let go. Let go!" she pleaded.

With disgust, Draco let her wrist go and stepped back, noticing how scared she looked. "Just stay away from me this year." he spat out, his voice laced with venom. With that he stalked up his stairs to his room. SLAM! He had slammed his door shut so hard it made Hermione jump.

Hermione winced as she rubbed her wrist gently. She looked thoughtful for a minute. _I always thought Malfoy wanted to be like his father. Could he have changed?_ She thought about it for a minute. _Nah._


	6. Something Different

Hermione woke up the next morning and took the time to look around her new room. She had been so visible shaken by what had happened with Malfoy last night that she had just gone up to her room and fallen asleep.

She was in a beautiful, oak four poster bed. The bed curtains and bed sheets were a crimson red color. To the right of the bed was a gold curtain that covered a glass door which opened out onto the balcony. She sat up and stretched her arms, yawning quietly. She got up and walked over to her closet. She opened it and found her robes and other clothes were already hung up neatly. She smiled to herself and got dressed quickly.

She grabbed her towel and walked out of her room and down the red staircase to the bathroom. The door was open and so she went inside and shut it. She turned around and found the bathroom had a bath bigger than the prefects' bath. Smiling and humming a song, she turned on the tub faucets and poured some strawberry bubble bath in. She slipped out of her robes and sank down into the warm water. She sighed and closed her eyes, relaxing her mind.

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Draco grumbled as he tossed and turned in his bed, trying to get back to sleep. Heaving a big sigh, he gave up and sat up in his bed stretching his arms. He'd thought a lot last night about what had happened between him and Hermione. _Wait. Hermione? Since when did I start calling Granger by her first name?_ He snorted in disbelief. _Never happened. _He decided. He stood up and looked around his room. It was the same layout as Hermione's except in green and silver. Of course, he didn't know what Hermione's room looked like. He stepped over to his closet mirror and looked himself over. _Damn Draco._ _Even after you wake up you're still hot_. He smirked at the mirror and grabbed a towel out of his closet. He swung it over his shoulder and whistling, went down to the bathroom.

The door was shut and he frowned for a second. He knocked loudly three times but there was no answer. Shrugging he opened the door a tiny bit and stepped inside. He froze when he saw Hermione asleep in the tub. _Too bad she's all covered with bubbles,_ a small voice inside his head said. His eyes widened as he realized what he had just been thinking. He mentally slapped himself and turned around to leave when Hermione opened her eyes and saw him.

She screamed.

"AAAAH!"

He was startled and screamed too.

"ARGHH!"

He whirled around and stared at her. She stared right back. "Malfoy! What are you doing in here?! Get out!" she cried.

"I didn't know anyone was in here! I knocked but you didn't say anything!" he exclaimed, blushing a bit.

"Well you know I'm in here now so get out!"

"Sorry," he mumbled and rushed out the door.

Hermione stared after him. Sorry? She hadn't even thought that he knew the word.

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Draco rushed back up to his room, shutting the door behind him. He slumped to the floor, covering his face in embarrassment. _Next time, _he decided, _I'll wait until the door's open to go inside._ He frowned for a second, why was he so embarrassed? He had never acted this way before when he'd seen a girl nearly naked. Heck, he had never been this embarrassed to see a girl naked!

"What has she done to me?" he wondered aloud.

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Meanwhile, Hermione was downstairs getting out of the tub. As she dried off and slipped her robe back on, she thought about what had just happened.

There was something different about Malfoy.


	7. Father's Letter

Draco had just come back from taking his shower when an owl tapped on his window. He glanced over and saw a black owl. His father's. "Great," he muttered. He stalked over to the window and opened it, letting the owl in. The owl sat regally while he removed the parchment and read it.

_Draco._

_I have been informed that you are to live with Potter's friend, Miss Hermione Granger. I have talked with your Headmaster about this and he informed me that the Head's must live together. Do anything you can to get her to quit her Head position. A mudblood does not deserve that type of award. You will ignore her when she talks to you and you will most definitely not be respectful towards her. _

_I trust that you can get rid of her. She will complicate any plans I may have for you._

_Your Father,_

_Lucius Malfoy_

Draco read the letter once more and then crumpled it up and threw it across the room. _Stupid Father_ he thought angrily. _Doesn't he realize that acting that way could make ME lose my position? All he thinks about is his precious Lord Voldemort. When is he going to realize I don't WANT to be a Death Eater?_ He cursed under his breath.

He suddenly remembered that his father's owl was waiting patiently for a return letter. He walked over to his desk and sat down, taking his quill and a piece of parchment. He wrote back,

_Father. _

_I will try anything I can to get that Mudblood to quit. I must also, however, be careful not to lose my own position of power in this school. I would not want to do anything that may mess up any of your plans so I will plan to get rid of her. _

_It may not be easy, Father, as she is quite stubborn. I will do my best._

_Your Son,_

_Draco._

He sneered at the letter. What a bunch of lies. Besides during his shower that morning he had realized that morning that having Granger as Head Girl may not be so bad. She was the brightest witch at Hogwarts and could handle more duties than any other witch he knew. He sealed the parchment and attached it to the owl's leg. He pet it on the head and then let it back out the window.

Watching it fly away, he wished that he, too, could fly away.

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	8. Granger, Granger, Granger

Author's Note: I know it's not much for now but I'm working on it! I promise! I'm hoping to get up at least one chapter a day.

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Draco walked wearily back down the stairs and turned the corner sharply, nearing colliding with Hermione. "Granger," he greeted as he walked away from her. He could feel her eyes on him and turned around. "What?" he asked annoyed.

"Nothing." she answered, sounding a bit baffled.

He rolled his eyes. "Listen, Granger, I don't like you any more than you like me, but we're in seventh year. We've got to live together for the rest of the year. Don't you think it would be easier without us slapping and hexing each other all the time?"

"Well," she paused, "yes." She sounded a bit uncertain.

He smirked at her. "Glad you agree, Mudblood," he said smoothly. He watched her eyes blaze angrily. "Granger, Granger, Granger." he said shaking his head at her. "You get angry to easily."

"Shut it, Death Eater." she snapped back at him, memories of the fight from the night before rushing back at her. She watched him smugly as his silver eyes narrowed and darkened. "Malfoy, Malfoy, Malfoy." she said shaking her head at him. "You get angry to easily."

With that she flounced by him and slammed the portrait door behind him.

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Draco stood in the center of the room, his fists clenched, still angry at what Hermione had said to him. _C'mon Draco. You don't want to be like your father, _he thought. He hated his father and everything he stood for. Which is why he would never ever consent to being a Death Eater.

_But you are, you're turning into someone just like him,_ another voice nagged him, deep inside his head.

"I need to get through this year as Head Boy," he growled softly to himself. "And I don't see how I can if Hermione and I keep…" His eyes widened. _Did I just call her Hermione again? _

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	9. Wink

Hermione watched Draco from across the Great Hall. She felt almost bad for calling him a Death Eater especially when she thought of the way he had reacted after she had called him that last night. She shook off the guilty feeling. _He calls you Mudblood._ she reminded herself. Still. He couldn't be ALL bad, could he? She glanced back up toward the Slytherin table and found a pair of silver eyes staring back at her.

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Draco glanced around his table. No one was paying attention to him so he turned his gaze back to Hermione's chocolate brown eyes. He winked at her and hid a smile as her eyes widened and she broke the gaze abruptly. He chuckled softly to himself. He had decided to be nice to her after she had left that morning. They _were_ seventh years after all. It was time to act more maturely.

"Drakie? What's so funny?" Pansy asked, in her obnoxious voice.

Draco rolled his eyes and immediately regretted chuckling. "Nothing, Pans." he drawled slowly.

"You were laughing at something," Pansy persisted.

"Forget it, Parkinson."

Pansy eyed Draco for a few more minutes and then, shrugging, turned back to talking with Millicent Bulstrode.

He finished his breakfast quickly and then left the Slytherin table, not wanting to have to be subjected to any gossip from Pansy.

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Hermione watched as Draco left the Great Hall quickly. _Maybe I should go apologize for calling him a Death Eater, _she thought. She glanced around surreptitiously and picked up her bag.

"Hey, Ron? Harry?" The two boys looked at her. "I'm going to the library." Hermione told them.

Harry grinned at her. "That's our 'Mione. Always hard at work."

She faked a smile. "Yep, you know me," and then left hurriedly.

She slipped between the doors of the Great Hall and looked around the Entrance Hall. _Maybe he went back up to our room._ she thought. She hurried up the stairs to the fourth floor and found herself in front of the painting of the brunette girl and the blonde man. They waved at her and she smiled at them. "Duos Iunctum." she said. The painting swung open and she stepped inside. She ran up to her room and threw her bag on her bed before going back down to the common room. She hesitated on her staircase. _What if Draco calls me Mudblood again? _Her eyes widened and she immediately forgot what she had been thinking of. _Since when do I call him Draco?_

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	10. Something Akin to Friendship

Author's Note: Thanks to all of you who have been reviewing!!!

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Hermione walked down her stairs into the common room. She stopped when she saw Draco sitting on the Slytherin couch, hunched over with his hands clasped, staring at the fire. She took a deep breath. _Well here goes nothing, _she thought.

"Draco?" she asked, her voice wavering a little.

His head snapped toward her, a questioning look on his face. "What did you just call me?" he asked in disbelief.

"Umm. Draco. I mean that IS your name isn't it?" she asked nervously. This wasn't going as well as she had hoped.

He looked at her oddly. "I guess, _Hermione_." he said, stressing her name.

She felt her heart jump a bit. Her name sounded so…nice…when he said it. She took a small step toward him and stopped. "Um, could we, you know, talk?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "What about?"

"Well, I just wanted to..to..apologize."

THAT got his attention. He stood up quickly and turned around. "YOU?" he asked incredulously. "Apologize for what?"

Hermione bit her lip for a second and then blurted out, "for calling you a Death Eater. I mean, its really none of my business who you choose to.."

Draco interrupted her. "Forget it. Besides," he said wryly, "I'm the one who should be apologizing. So….damn this is hard to say. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for calling you Mudblood. Really." he finished, looking a bit uncomfortable.

Hermione held back a laugh. She didn't think she'd ever see the day when Draco said sorry. It apparently wasn't something he was used to saying because he looked so uncomfortable.

"Forget it." she said lightly.

She hesitated again. "But, if you don't mind me asking, why did you react so violently to being called a Death Eater? I mean, aren't you one?"

"NO." Draco emphasized. "I don't WANT to be one either."

Hermione stood there stunned. She had expected a completely different answer. She would have even be prepared for him to start a fight with her.

"This summer I began to realize how hypocritical my father is," Draco continued. "I mean, he believes that only purebloods are good wizards but he follows the orders of a half-blood. And, I know that what he believes isn't true because…"

"Because why?" Hermione asked, a bit surprised at how much he was telling her.

Draco hesitated; glancing toward the door to make sure it was shut. "Because of you." he said quietly.

"ME?" she cried out. "What do you mean?"

"Shhh." Draco hissed at her. "Well, because you're the best witch in our year which clearly shows that purebloods are the best."

"Oh." Hermione was stumped. He had never before complimented her or even shown that he knew that she was the top student in their year.

"And then look at Crabbe and Goyle. They're great examples that purebloods are the best. They're not exactly brilliant." Draco said.

A laugh escaped from Hermione. She tried to hold it back. "That's the understatement of the year," she said, her eyes twinkling mischeviously.

Draco grinned at her. He reflected for a minute on how odd it was to be laughing with her. But he just felt so at ease with her, like he could tell her anything.

"Well, a rock DOES have a higher IQ then them, doesn't it?" he asked, smiling a bit.

He watched as she laughed again. He liked her laugh. It reminded him of bells. He wanted to hear her laugh again. He thought for a second and then grinned when he thought of something else.

"Calling Crabbe and Goyle smart would be like calling Pansy the Pug pretty." he said, looking smug.

Hermione's eyes widened and she began to laugh. "Draco!" she exclaimed, gasping between laughs, "you're horrible!"

He smiled at her and she smiled back at him, the earlier tension broken and years of harsh insults forgotten.

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	11. Class Schedules

Author's Note: Whee!! Thanks for all the reviews you guys!

The next day was the beginning of classes. Hermione and Draco both woke up early to go over their schedule one more time before breakfast.

Hermione glanced at her schedule as she sat on the Gryffindor couch in the common room, her feet tucked underneath her.

_Class Schedule_

_Hermione Anne Granger: 7__th__ Year Head Girl_

_1__st __Class: Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts_

_2__nd __Class: Advanced Transfiguration_

_3__rd __Class: Advanced Arithmancy_

_4__th __Class: Advanced Potions_

_5__th __Class: Advanced History of Magic_

_6__th __Class: Advanced Ancient Runes_

_7__th __Class: Advanced Charms _

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Draco stumbled down the stairs, rubbing his eyes a bit sleepily. He flopped down on the Slytherin couch and glanced over at Hermione who was reading her schedule over. He picked up his schedule off the small table next to the couch and read it over.

_Class Schedule_

_Draco Lucius Malfoy: 7__th__ Year Head Boy_

_1__st __Class: Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts_

_2__nd __Class: Advanced Transfiguration_

_3__rd __Class: Advanced Arithmancy_

_4__th __Class: Advanced Potions_

_5__th __Class: Advanced History of Magic_

_6__th __Class: Advanced Ancient Runes_

_7__th __Class: Advanced Charms _

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"Good morning, Draco". Hermione said after she finished memorizing her schedule. She looked over at him and saw him studying his schedule. "What classes are you taking?" she asked him.

He handed his schedule over to her wordlessly. She glanced it over and then frowned, looking at her schedule. He watched her curiously. She handed it back to him silently and looked at him for a second. "We have all of our classes together," she said finally.

His eyebrows rose up. "That's a first. It must be part of the house-unity pact Professor Dumbledore is trying to propose, getting all the Slytherins and Gryffindors to share classes."

She nodded silently and then glanced at the gold and silver clock on the fireplace mantle. As she stood up, she said "I'm going to go down for breakfast now, are you going to go now too?"

Draco looked at the time and then stood up too. "Sure," he said shrugging nonchalantly. "Ready to start another day with Potty and Weasel?" he asked her smirking.

She swatted at him. "If by Potty and Weasel, you mean Harry and Ron, then yes. Ready to start another day with Dumb, Dumber, and Slutty?" she asked back teasingly.

He raised an eyebrow and smirked at her, trying not to laugh. "If by Dumb, Dumber, and Slutty you mean Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy, then yes." he said, mocking her.

She laughed and smiled at him. She walked ahead to the portrait hole and climbed out.

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Author's Note: I'm working on it I promise! Sorry for just putting up little bits and pieces at a time.


	12. Civil Conversation

Draco followed Hermione out of the portrait hole and they walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast in silence. As they stood in the Entrance Hall, they could hear the loud chatter coming from inside of the Great Hall. They paused outside and Draco said, "Do you want to go in together or separately?"

Hermione looked at him. "Well, it doesn't really matter. We can go in together since we're Heads and we have a reason to be together." She smiled at him gently. He had been nice this morning and she liked this side of Draco.

He grinned wickedly at her. "Let's go in and instead of running right off from each other, let's talk a minute about head duties. I bet all the noise in the Great Hall dies down when they see us talking civilly to each other."

"And then what do we say when our friends ask us why we were talking to each other?" Hermione asked. She knew that Ron and Harry would certainly ask why she and Draco were talking together and NOT trying to kill each other.

Draco paused for a second. "Just say…that we need to be civil to each other if we're going to keep our Head positions."

Hermione nodded and gave him a small smile. "Alright. Let's do it."

With that Draco pushed the Great Hall doors open forcefully and they walked in together. They stopped walking when they came between the Slytherin and the Gryffindor tables and turned to face each other.

"It's getting quieter already," Draco said smirking.

And it was. From the moment they had walked in together and kept walking side by side, people had been stopping their conversation and turning to stare at them.

Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Well your plan worked. It's so quiet in here you could hear a pin drop." she whispered.

"Let's give 'em a show then." Draco whispered back, winking at her.

Hermione cleared her throat loudly. "Well we still have to plan the Hogsmeade weekends," she said, in her normal tone. She glanced around and saw a couple of girls at the Slytherin table glaring at her. "Looks like your Slytherin posse doesn't seem to care for me talking "civilly" with you very much." she mumbled to him.

Draco glanced over his shoulder and saw Pansy, Millicent, and Alana glaring at Hermione, along with a few other younger year Slytherin girls.

He smirked. "They just don't want to lose their hot Slytherin Prince to the Gryffindor Princess." he said quietly, grinning at her.

"Hot Slytherin Prince? Where?!" Hermione asked innocently, a wicked gleam in her eye. She pretended to look around wildly and then laughed gently. "Teasing, Draco."

Draco mock-glared at her. "Do you need to get your eyes checked? I'm right here." he said, in a fake hurt voice.

Hermione laughed. "Right," she said sarcastically. She grinned at him. "So when should we work on planning the first Hogsmeade day?" she asked him quietly.

Draco glanced around the silent Great Hall again and saw everyone's, including the professor's, eyes on them. Draco leaned over and whispered, "Let's give them a heart attack shall we?"

Hermione caught his eye and nodded quickly at him.

Draco cleared his throat and said loudly, so everyone in the Great Hall could hear, "How does tonight at eight sound?"

Hermione grinned, knowing where he was going with this. "It's a date," she announced just as loudly.

Gasps sounded throughout the Great Hall and some of the student's mouths dropped open in shock. Hermione glanced over at Ron and Harry and saw them staring at her and Draco with their mouths hanging open and their eyes wide.

Draco followed her gaze and bit back a laugh when he saw the two boy's faces. They glared at him and he smirked right back at them.

He turned back to Hermione, "See you then.", and walked off to the Slytherin table.

Hermione turned around and walked over to where Ron and Harry were sitting and sat between them. As she reached for a blueberry muffin, the Great Hall broke out in whispers.

"_Hermione and Draco…."_

"_Do you think that THEY…"_

"_Of course not, its preposterous! Not them."_

"_But maybe…"_

Hermione smiled to herself and buttered her muffin. As she raised to her mouth to take a bite, Ron's voice broke through her thoughts loudly. "What the bloody HELL was that about?" he asked accusingly.

Hermione looked at him calmly. "We were discussing when we should get together to plan the first Hogsmeade Day." She bit into her muffin and listened as Ron turned to Harry.

"Did you hear that Harry?" he asked incredulously. "Get together to plan the first Hogsmeade Day, she says."

"Well they ARE both Heads, Ron." Harry said reasonably. "They have certain duties to perform and I'm sure it would go much better if they were both civil to each other."

Hermione looked gratefully at Harry. "Thank you Harry," she said. "At least one of you has some sense," she finished, grinning playfully at Ron.

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Draco sat down between Goyle and Crabbe. As soon as he had sat down, Pansy leaned over Crabbe and hissed, "What the hell was that all about, you talking to Mudblood Granger politely?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Pansy," he drawled, "Granger and I are BOTH Heads. If we're not nice to each other then we'll lose our position as Heads. And I for one don't want to lose Head Boy to some nitwit. Beside, it's a great position for POWER." he added significantly.

Pansy nodded grudgingly. "Alright, as long as you don't go soft on us Draco," she said firmly.

Draco looked at Pansy scornfully and shook his head. "I'm the top Death Eater's son, Pansy. Do you really think I'm going to go soft over a Mudblood?"

Pansy thought about that for a minute. "No." she said finally.

_Yes_, a voice in Draco's head said. He froze. _What?!_ he thought wildly.


	13. Pansy and Hermione

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Author's Note: Just a couple more chapters until they finally get together! Just leading up to it now. I've got a whole outline for this story written out and now I'm just making the story!

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After breakfast Hermione hurried through the halls to her first class, Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts. As she walked toward the classroom, she received a few weird looks from some Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs and a couple of glares from the Slytherins. Hermione smirked to herself as a group of Hufflepuf fifth-years sent some jealous looks toward her.

_People don't actually believe I would date Draco, do they?_ she thought to herself as she stepped inside the classroom.

Pansy stepped in front of her menacingly. "You better not lay even one of your filthy fingers on my Draco, Mudblood." she threatened in a low voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Pansy. YOUR Draco? He'd rather have me all over him than have you get within five feet of him."

Pansy's eyes narrowed. "That's not true, you stupid bitch. Draco loves me. We're going to get married someday, so just you stay away from him, you hear?"

Hermione scoffed at her. "And if I don't?" she challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Then just watch yourself." Pansy whispered back hatefully. "But I don't really have anything to worry about since my Draco wont fall for such scum like you, Mudblood." she said, raising her voice a little bit. A couple other people who were already in class, waiting for Professor Mandil, the new DADA professor, to show looked over at the fight that was brewing.

Hermione's temper rose. "We'll see about that, you little slut."

Draco walked in the door with the rest of the class, just in time to hear Hermione's comment. He raised his eyebrows at her as Pansy hurtled herself toward him. Everyone else, including Ron and Harry, waited in anticipation, ready to defend Hermione if Malfoy said anything.

"Drakie!" she shrieked. "The mudblood called me a slut!"

Draco looked down at her wearily and tried to wiggle out of her tight grasp. "Pansy," he drawled, "you ARE a slut."

Pansy gasped and stepped back from him, her eyes wide. "But Drakie! You can't go around calling your future wife a slut!" The other students sniggered at the term "future wife" and then looked at Draco expectantly to see what he would say.

Draco winked at Hermione, ready to carry on the charade they had started earlier in the Great Hall. "But Pansy I didn't call Hermione a slut, I called YOU one."

A few of the students in the room gasped as Malfoy called one of his sworn enemies by her first name. Ron clenched his fists angrily as Draco referred to Hermione as his "future wife" and Harry held him back from attacking Draco.

Pansy recoiled, her eyes filling with tears. "You'd rather marry the mudblood than me?!" she asked shrilly.

Draco rolled his eyes at her. "It's not nice to call someone a mudblood Pansy." He paused for a second. "Oh, and to answer your question, Pansy, yes. I'd rather marry _anyone_ but you."

Hermione bit back a laugh as Pansy whirled around tearfully to storm dramatically out of the room. BAM! Pansy smacked right into the new professor. He looked down at her disapprovingly. "Miss…?"

"Parkinson," Pansy said sullenly. "Pansy Parkinson."

"Well then, Miss Parkinson. Please have a seat so class can start." Professor Mandil said.

Pansy stomped over to an empty seat by Blaise Zabini, a seventh year male, and sunk down into it angrily as Professor Mandil began to talk. She threw a hateful glare at Hermione. _You're going to wish you were never born when I'm through with you. _she vowed silently. _ No one messes with my man and gets away with it. Ever. Bitch._


	14. Dinnertime

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Author's Note: Whee!! Writing this story is so much fun except for the writer's block part! Lol

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Pansy watched Hermione carefully all day to make sure she didn't get too close to Draco. She was relieved to find that Hermione and Draco didn't even talk for the rest of the day until dinnertime.

_Dinner time in the Great Hall_

Hermione walked into the Great Hall and nearly bumped into Draco. "Excuse me," she said as she attempted to go around him.

Draco grabbed onto her arm. "Wait." he said.

Hermione looked curiously at him. "Yes?" she asked.

"Are we continuing with this whole act?" he asked quietly. "I want to, it seems to make Pansy angry and it's funny when she's angry."

"Funny?" Hermione looked at him.

"You know, her face gets all red and then she looked like a pug with a tomato smashed in its face."

Hermione laughed and grinned at Draco. "Alright then, but you've got to protect me from her."

"Anytime." Draco said smoothly.

"Alright, then go to the Slytherin table and eat dinner but don't leave until I do." she said.

Draco nodded and hurried off to the Slytherin table.

Hermione walked over calmly to the Gryffindor table and ignored everyone staring openmouthed at her. She sat down between Ron and Harry and began to eat her dinner.

"Why," Harry interrupted her train of thought, "are you being nice to Malfoy?"

Hermione raised her head to look at him. "Because," she said calmly, "he's being nice to me." 

"But," Ron sputtered, spraying food out of his mouth, "it's Malfoy! Are you sure you're not secretly in love with him or something? I mean, anyone would have to be in order to be nice to that git."

Hermione nearly choked on her food. "What?!" she cried out, "are you CRAZY?"

"Obviously," Harry said dryly.

"Look," Hermione whispered to them, "this whole thing between me and Malfoy is just an act to piss Pansy off. And Ron?"

"Yes?"

"Next time remember to finish all the food in your mouth before you say anything." Hermione chided him.

Ron blushed. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Hermione nodded at him and continued eating. They finished the dinner in silence, listening to various conversation around them.

Hermione listened vaguely to Lavender ramble on about some new designer robes her mother had just sent her while Harry and Ron listened to Dean and Seamus talk about Quidditch games.

After Hermione had finished eating, she looked up and found Draco looking right at her. She nodded her head toward the door as if to tell him she was going to get up. He winked back at her conspicuously.

Hermione stood up from the table. "I'm going back to my dorm, guy. See you later." she said cheerfully.

She made her way down the aisle toward the Great Hall doors and then paused as if thinking. She turned around as Draco watched her curiously. She grinned wickedly at him and then spoke loudly.

"Oh, and love?"

Draco's eyes widened as conversation around him ceased. She was a clever little Gryffindor. Perfect.

"Yes?" he called back, just as loudly. He smirked at her.

"Remember, eight o'clock." she called back to him.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." he said as everyone else listened. He winked at her and nodded his head toward Pansy who did indeed look like a pug with a tomato smashed into her face.

"Alright." Hermione said as she turned around once more and left the Hall.

The room buzzed with whispers once again as Draco finished his diner quickly. He stood up smugly and made his way out of the Great Hall toward the Head Dorms.

Pansy watched him leave and her eyes narrowed. _What is going on here? _she wondered, wishing she could get rid of the Gryffindor Princess once and for all.


	15. Planning Hogsmeade Day

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Author's Note: thanks so much for the reviews you guys! Lol you inspire me to keep on writing.

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Hermione was sitting on the Gryffindor couch in the common room reading a book when Draco walked in through the portrait hole. He looked up at the clock on the fireplace mantle and then smiled at her. "Eight o'clock on the dot." he said.

She put her book aside and then smiled up at him. "Ready to start planning the first Hogsmeade weekend?" she asked cheerfully.

"Yeah," he said, sitting down on the Slytherin couch so he was facing her. "I was thinking about it as I walked up here. How do you think this Saturday would be? You know, to kind of kick off the school year with a Hogsmeade trip."

Hermione smiled at him. "That sounds great," she said enthusiastically. She hopped off the couch and kneeled down in front of the table. She opened the small drawer it had and took out the calendar Dumbledore had left for them to plan activities with. She flipped through the pages until she reached the month of September.

She looked up at him. "This Saturday's fine. There's nothing else scheduled for that day," she said, a big grin on her face. She loved Hogsmeade trips.

"Sit here, so we can both see the calendar," Draco said, patting the space next to him on the Slytherin couch.

Hermione hesitated for a brief second before picking the calendar off the table and getting up to sit on the couch. She sat down next to him and laid the calendar on her lap.

"Great, so now we just have to assign the patrols to the prefects." Draco said, moving over closer to her so he could look over her shoulder at the calendar. He leaned forward just as she turned to look at him.

Their faces were a couple inches from each other and they both froze, staring at each other.

_She looks really pretty,_ Draco thought as the light from the fireplace danced on Hermione face, making her skin glow.

_He looks really handsome with the light dancing on his face like that,_ Hermione thought. She turned her head back and looked down at the calendar in an attempt to hide the blush that was spreading across her face.

"Hermione," Draco said softly.

"Well I guess we should start figuring out the prefect patrols now," Hermione said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"Hermione," Draco said again gently. He took the calendar from her shaking hands and laid it on the table. "Look at me."

Hermione raised her eyes to meet his and immediately looked away.

Draco laid his hand gently on top of hers and watched as Hermione bit her lip and looked down at their hands.

She looked back up at him and saw something in his eyes that she'd never seen before. Desire. At that moment she realized just how much she liked him. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into his eyes, mesmerized. _Snap out of it Hermione,_ she thought hastily.

She stood up abruptly and backed away from the couch. "Maybe we should just discuss the prefect patrol's tomorrow," she said hurriedly.

She turned and ran up the stairs to her room, shutting the door behind her and slumping down to the floor, her nerves rattled from what had just happened. She got up shakily and got ready for bed. She threw herself underneath the warm covers where she fell into a deep sleep, dreaming about a certain blonde Slytherin.  
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Draco watched as Hermione ran off. _Damn it_ he cursed inwardly. _Stupid Draco. You should've just kissed her. You know you wanted to._ He mentally kicked himself and then walked up his stairs to his room where he fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming about a certain brunette Gryffindor.


	16. First Kiss

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Author's Note: Almost together! YAY!

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Hermione woke up around 6 o'clock the next morning. She rolled over in her bed and looked blearily out onto her balcony. She stood up, yawning, and stretched her arms over her head. Grabbing her towel, she ran down her stairs and into the bathroom to take her shower.

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Draco woke up as the bathroom door slammed shut. He rubbed his eyes and thought back to the previous night's events. He just couldn't stop thinking of _her._

"Damn it," he grumbled to himself.

He waited in his bed until he heard Hermione step out of the bathroom and run back up to her room. _Now she'll probably try to avoid me all day,_ he thought moodily. He got up out of the bed and went down to take his shower.

An hour later, he was freshly showered and shaved. As he slipped on his clothes for the day, the standard black robes, he heard Hermione's door open again. He opened the bathroom door and stepped out just as Hermione ran around the corner.

BAM!! Hermione slammed right into Draco, knocking them both down. Draco fell on top of Hermione and tried to catch his breath. "In a hurry to get somewhere?" he asked, looking down at her.

Hermione tried to stop breathing so fast as she nodded slightly.

He stood up and brushed himself off before offering his hand to Hermione. She took it hesitantly, looking at him warily. He helped her up but didn't let go of her hand.

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Hermione's heart pounded crazily. _Stop it!_ she screamed in her head. She couldn't like him. She just couldn't. Even if he was nice now. She looked up at his face and immediately wished she hadn't. His soft platinum blonde hair fell softly on his forehead and she thought he had never looked more handsome.

"Hermione," Draco said gently just as he had the night before.

Hermione ignored him and watched as his lips spoke her name once more. Throwing all caution to the wind, she stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his.

Draco's head swirled with emotions as she kissed him. His arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her closer to him.

Hermione felt like she was in heaven. She had never before felt this way during a kiss. Every nerve on her body was screaming and she felt like she was on fire. She moved her arms up around his neck and played with the soft hair at the nape of his neck.

_This is Malfoy!_ her mind screamed at her. She ignored it and pulled his head closer to hers.

Draco deepened the kiss as he pulled her tightly against his chest, loving the feel of her hands on his neck.

They broke the kiss and Draco leaned his forehead against Hermione's, breathing heavily.

Hermione looked into his eyes and tried to control her own ragged breathing. "We should," she took another deep breath, "probably go down for breakfast now."

Draco nodded silently, still breathing too hard to say anything.

"Alright," he finally managed to choke out. "But there can be no mention of this. Yet."

Hermione nodded. She knew the reason very well. Not only would Harry and Ron try to kill him but she would be in danger from the wrath of the Slytherins as well.

They walked toward the door and as she began to climb through the portrait hole, Draco grabbed her wrist and pulled her back against him for another quick kiss. She gave him a shy smile and then hurried down to the Great Hall.


	17. Dont Touch Me

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Author's Note: I'm sooo sorry it took me so long to get this up! I'm so busy right now with a government project and a term paper. /

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Hermione rushed into the Great Hall, smiling a bit as she thought of what had just happened. She sat down by Ron and leaned over him to grab the pitcher of pumpkin juice.

"What are you so happy about?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow. He gave her a weird look and then went back to eating his oatmeal.

Hermione immediately stopped smiling and said, "Nothing. I was just thinking about what a good day it would be to study in the library after classes."

Ron gave her another weird look. "But it's so nice outside. Why the bloody hell would you want to be stuck inside in a _library?_"

Hermione glared at him. "Because _Ronald_, when it's nice outside, not as many people are in the library and it's much quieter."

Ron flinched at her tone. He hated it when she called him Ronald and she knew it. "Wait, you mean other people beside you actually go in the library?" he quipped.

"Mostly just the _smart _people," Hermione replied. "I guess that's why I don't see you very often in there."

Ron started to open his mouth to say something but Harry interrupted their little argument. "Come on, you guys. Do you really want to start the year off with an argument?" he asked them wearily.

Hermione and Ron both hesitated a minute,. "Well…no." they finally said.

Harry gave them an approving look. "Good," he said firmly. "Because I sure don't want to listen to one."

Hermione nodded meekly and then quickly excused herself from their presence.

She grabbed her back from underneath the Gryffindor table and hurried off to the library.

Ron watched her run out of the Great Hall. He turned to Harry, "Why is it that it always seems the library is more important to her than we are?"

Harry just looked at him and shook his head, sighing as he turned away. Ron stared at him for a minute and then shrugged, returning to shoveling food into his mouth.   
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Ron hadn't been the only one who had watched Hermione practically run out of the Great Hall. A pair of silver eyes had been watching her every move discreetly from the Slytherin table.

Draco felt a hand lay on his knee and he turned sharply to glare at Pansy as he knocked her hand off of his leg. "Don't touch me, Pansy." he said icily. The last thing he needed was for Hermione to see Pansy trying to grope him. He didn't want to do anything to risk ruining this new relationship. For once he actually _cared_ about someone and he liked that.

"Oh Drakie," Pansy gushed in her sickeningly sweet voice, "what's wrong with you this year? Last year you couldn't keep your hands off of me."

Draco grimaced. "No Pansy, you couldn't keep _your_ hands off of _me._"

Pansy pouted as she sank back into her seat moodily.

Draco sighed heavily as he got up from the table to go find Hermione.


	18. A Strange Hermione

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Author's Note: OMG I'm so sorry it took so long! I'm sooo busy lately but hopefully I can update some more this weekend. I know its not much and a lot of you are wanting longer chapters but I swear I'm trying to do my best with the time I have right now!! 3

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_In the library_

Hermione sighed as she sat down in a dark corner of the library, away from prying eyes. She hated fighting with Ron…he was one of her best friends for Merlin's sake! However, he always knew just how to push her buttons. A small smile graced her lip as she though of Harry. She never fought with him. He always understood her. Always.

_But will he really understand how you can feel the way you feel about Draco?_ a little voice in her head said. She nodded slowly to herself, trying to convince her that no matter what happened, Harry would always have her back. _Hopefully_. she thought. She couldn't bear to lose her friends over some guy.

_Maybe we do need to keep it quiet for a while _Hermione thought. She was in deep thought about what she should do about her and Draco when a voice spoke up from behind her.

"Could you use some company?" Draco asked. As she glanced up toward him, he marveled at how pretty her eyes were…he marveled at how gorgeous she was. Without waiting for an answer from Hermione, he pulled a chair up to the small table she was sitting at and sat down next to her.

Hermione watched him for a minute. His platinum blonde hair fell over his silver eyes as he looked toward her. He noticed her looking at him and he smirked slightly, repeating what he had asked her the very first day of school. "Like what you see?"

Hermione smiled at Draco. "Yes," she said quietly. Draco's eyes lit up and he slid toward her. An interested look appeared on his face as he looked her up and down. "Like what YOU see?" Hermione asked playfully.

"Very much so." Draco said huskily before lowering his lips to hers in a searing kiss that left them both wanting another.

Hermione kissed him again lightly before pulling away from him. She sat back in her chair and crossed her legs nervously. "Umm, Draco?" she began, her voice quiet. He leaned closer to hear her better.

"How long are we going to keep this secret? Is there even a 'we' or what is this?"

Draco smiled gently at her and took her hand. "I want there to be an 'us'. But it's up to you. Would you like to be an 'us'? he asked, careful not to meet her eyes.

Hermione was stunned. She really hadn't expected him to want to be with her. "Yes," she said happily. "I want there to be an 'us'."

"Good, then." Draco said, leaning toward her a bit. "Seal it with a kiss?"

Hermione only smiled and pressed her lips against his in response.

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"Where have you been all day, Hermione?" Ron asked as they sat down at the Gryffindor Table.

Hermione looked up and caught Draco's eye from across the room. She flashed him a quick smile and he smiled back. She turned to Ron and answered him. "In the library, Ron. I told you I would be in the library today at breakfast this morning, remember?"

Ron thought back several hours. "Oh yeah." he mumbled as he stuffed half a bread roll in his mouth. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ron that is soo gross." she complained. "Can't you eat like a normal human being?"

"No," Harry said, amused at the sight of Ron cramming another bread roll into his mouth.

"Sorry, 'Mione." Ron muttered. He wiped the crumbs off of his face and smiled almost shyly at Hermione.

"Honestly, Ron, how do you ever expect to get a girlfriend?" Hermione exclaimed. "Or even just a date to Hogsmeade or a dance?"

"Well, I've got you." Ron said, blushing a little as he glanced at Hermione.

Hermione froze. _I've got you_ echoed in her mind. _But he doesn't anymore. But I can't let him know that!_ She opted for smiling weakly and avoiding Harry's and Ron's eyes. She reached for her glass of pumpkin juice and took a sip nervously.

Harry frowned. Hermione was acting so strange lately. "Is there anything you want to tell us Hermione?" he asked casually.

Hermione turned a bit paler. _He couldn't have found out _she thought wildly. _But what if he did? What if he tells Ron? What if…_ she stopped herself from thinking of the worst possible thing that could happen and answered Harry's question.

"Why, whatever on earth do you mean, Harry?" she asked, hoping he couldn't notice the small quiver in her voice.

"I mean that you've been acting strange lately," Harry explained patiently. Hermione felt faint under his scrutinizing gaze and abruptly stopped eating. Suddenly she wasn't hungry anymore.

"Oh, I didn't realize," she replied in a small voice. She glanced nervously around the table and her gaze flickered toward where Draco was sitting, looking bored, at the Slytherin table. She noticed Pansy sitting very close to Draco and attempting to flirt with him. A small wave of jealously passed over her and her eyes hardened momentarily as she forgot about Harry and Ron and everyone else around her.

Harry watched Hermione carefully and was surprised to see her glare at someone. _What's gotten into her?_ he wondered. He glanced in the direction Hermione was glaring in and frowned. _Why is Hermione glaring at Pansy?_


	19. A Jealous Hermione

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Author's Note: there you go! Another chapter! Im still trying to make them longer, sorry if their not very long yet. Thanks for all your reviews!

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Hermione gave one last glare at Pansy before she muttered, "I'm going to go study in the library." to Ron and Harry. She stormed away from the Gryffindor Table. Harry watched her leave and glanced over where Pansy was sitting. _Why was Hermione glaring at Pansy? _he wondered.

He watched Pansy eat dinner and flirt with Draco at the same time. _Yuck_ he grimaced. _It almost makes me feel sorry for Malfoy._ He paused and his brow furrowed. _Malfoy. _He glanced up sharply at the Slytherin Table once again and his eyes widened as he suddenly realized why Hermione had been glaring at Pansy. _Hermione's jealous of Pansy?!_

He turned quickly to Ron and said, "Ron!" Mrumph" Ron mumbled through the food in his mouth. "Never mind," Harry said rolling his eyes. He got up and ran from the Gryffindor table toward the library.

As Harry ran off, Ron finished the food that was in his mouth. He looked up to see Harry running out of the Great Hall. "Was it something I said?'  
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Hermione was sitting sullenly in the back of the library when someone came up behind her. "Hermione," Harry's voice sounded almost angry. She jumped in surprise, not having expected someone to follow her into the library.

She immediately noticed that Harry's eyes were narrowed and innocently asked, "Harry! What's wrong?"

He sat down next to Hermione and stared at her with an incredulous expression on his face. "You should know perfectly well what's wrong."

Hermione looked confused and a bit hurt. "Did I do something?" she asked him softly.

Harry snorted. "Did you do something. Of COURSE you did something. You went and fell in love with the biggest prat on the planet! Not to mention that Malfoy just HAPPENS to be our sworn enemy for the last six years!"

Hermione stared at him, an odd expression on her face. "Did you just say love?"

Harry glared at her. "Yes," he spat out. "with a MALFOY."

A funny smile came across her face. "You're right. I DO love him. Thanks Harry, without your help I wouldn't have realized just HOW much I care for him. I LOVE him."

Harry's eyes grew wide. "I meant, hate! Not love! You HATE Draco Malfoy, Hermione. You always have."

"Not anymore." Hermione said, a dreamy expression on her face. She stood up and grabbed her bag from the table. Harry grabbed her arm. "Where are you going?"

"To tell Draco exactly how I feel about him."

"No! Hermione! Stop! Use logic!" Harry pleaded.

Hermione stared at him for a minute before breaking out into laughter. She giggled incessantly while Harry stood there with a perplexed look on his face. "Haha! Wow…I really…had….you…going there….for a minute." she managed to gasp out before she burst into another gale of giggles.

"What's going on?" Harry asked slowly. "Did I miss something here?"

"I can't believe you actually thought I was in love with Draco Malfoy!" Hermione laughed.

A relieved look crossed Harry's face. "So you DON'T love him?" he ventured.

"Of COURSE not!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Oh O.K." Harry said, sighing with relief. He visible sagged against the back of his chair and gave an abrupt laugh. "Geez Hermione don't ever do that to me again."

A fleeting guilty look crossed Hermione's face but was gone before Harry could notice it. "Well, I better go back to my dorm and finish up some more homework." she said quickly.

Harry stood up, grinning at her. "Alright there Hermione. See you later then." He gave her a hug and left the library.

Hermione dropped her stuff back onto the table and sunk back down into her chair. _I hate lying especially to my best friends. _"What do I do NOW?" she whispered miserably.   
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Hermione sulked into the common room. Draco looked up from his place on the Slytherin couch and grinned cheerfully at her. "There you are!" he exclaimed. His smile died as he noticed the miserable look on Hermione's face. "Hey," he whispered as he jumped up from his place on the couch and strode toward her," what's wrong?" His arms encircled her and Hermione leaned her head against his chest.

"I just lied to Harry. He was on to our relationship." she murmured. Draco pulled back from her and looked at her closely. "How did he figure it out so quickly?" he asked in surprise.

Hermione only smiled at him. "Well Harry's not exactly stupid," she said wryly.

Draco snorted. "That's a matter of opinion." Hermione swatted him. "Hey!"

He looked down at her and grinned, "Sorry."

She smiled back at him. "Well anyway, he noticed that I was uh, glaring at Pansy tonight at dinner." she said, not looking at him.

"Glaring? Why?" he asked confusedly. "What does she have that you don't?"

Hermione gave him a wry smile. "I was kind of jealous that it wasn't me sitting next to you and flirting with you at dinner."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Oh Merlin, Hermione. I would much rather have had it be you than HER." He shuddered. "She scares me. But now you can flirt with me all you want." he said winking at her.

She gave him a small smile and then raised her head toward him. He leaned down and kissed her sweetly.


	20. Can't Be Her

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Author's Note: YAY! A longer chapter! Not my favorite though but it needs to happen if the story is going to continue as planned  
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"Why isn't Draco paying attention to me?" Pansy whined to Millicent Bulstrode as Draco strode past her in the hallway, completely ignoring her. Millicent shrugged as she watched Draco turn the corner "Maybe he doesn't like you anymore." she offered.

Pansy's temper rose and she glared at Millicent. "What a stupid idea." she sneered. "Of course he loves me, he's going to marry me!"

"Did he ever ask you to marry him?" Millicent asked tactfully. Pansy hesitated, "Well no, but he's a Malfoy, I'm a Parkinson. Both of our parents want us to marry each other."

"That doesn't mean he loves you," Millicent interjected. Pansy's eyes narrowed. "Shut it Bulstrode," she snapped. "You're no help anyway." She turned to walk away and Millicent said, "All I'm saying is he might like someone else.

Pansy whirled around. "Like WHO?" she demanded. "Give me a name NOW."

Millicent glanced at Pansy's angry face. "Well." she hesitated, "maybe its that Granger girl."

"The mudblood?" Pansy gave a short laugh. "Draco wouldn't be stupid enough to fall for her." She shook her head, "No, it's got to be a pureblood."

"Are you sure?" Millicent ventured. "Because for being a muggle-hating pureblood, he's been spending an awful lot of time with her."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Of course he is, stupid. They're both Heads. They have to spend time with each other. Besides its just for appearances, Draco told me so." she said smugly. "I personally feel sorry for him. Stupid mudblood."

Pansy and Millicent both walked away and the sound of conversation faded into the distance.   
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Draco's temper flared as he heard Pansy call Hermione a stupid mudblood. He turned and walked the other way rapidly toward the Head Dorms. He had overheard Pansy's and Millicent's conversation and now knew that he and Hermione had to be more careful than ever. If Millicent could see something between them, then so could almost anyone else. Besides Pansy. Pansy was too blindly in love with him to think he could be in love with a muggleborn.

He shook his head disgustedly at this thought as he reached their dorm. He muttered, "_Duos Iunctum"_ and the portrait swung open. He stepped over the threshold and strode over to the Slytherin couch where he threw himself down. His anger simmered down a bit as he took a deep breath and tried to think of more positive things.

A pair of arms threw themselves around him and he started. He breathed in relief when he saw it was just Hermione smiling at him. "Hi, Draco." she said cheerfully. She leaned forward and quickly kissed him. She frowned slightly. "What's wrong?" she asked when she saw his face.

Draco hesistated for a second. "Hermione," he began, "I just realized that we can't be nice to each other in public. I mean, we have to be somewhat civil to each other as we're both Heads, but if we don't still throw rude remarks at each other than people are going to catch on."

Hermione sighed, "I know," she mumbled. "I was thinking of that earlier." She glanced up at Draco, "What happened that made you think of it?"

Draco shifted uncomfortably. "I heard Pansy and Millicent talking about me in the hallway and Millicent suggested that maybe I liked you. Pansy of course didn't even listen to that suggestion. She's always been a dumb one," he said wryly.

Hermione smirked. "Apparently your type used to be dumb blondes then, hmm? Although you used to be a dumb blonde so I guess it worked."

Draco gazed at her confoundedly. That was HIS smirk! She was smirking the Malfoy smirk! He was oh so proud of her.

The smirk vanished from Hermione's face. "Sorry, I'm trying to get back into the habit of being mean to you," she volunteered.

"Just think of all the things I used to say to you," Draco said. "It shouldn't be that hard to get back into your old state of mind. I mean, I was a pretty big prat."

"Yes you were," Hermione agreed, a small smile on her face.

"Hey!" Draco said, pretending to look hurt. "You weren't supposed to agree with that!"

Hermione giggled and turned to go back to her room when Draco caught her around her waist with her arms. "Get back here!"

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Hermione walked with Ron and Harry down the hallway toward Double Potions with the Slytherins. The rest of the Gryffindors were trailing behind them. Standing outside the door, apparently waiting for Snape to arrive, stood the Slytherins with Draco and Pansy in the lead. Pansy seemed to be trying to attach herself to Draco's arm and Draco was trying to get her off of him.

"Pansy, get off of me," Draco hissed, trying to loosen Pansy's death grip on his arm. Pansy batted her eyelashes up at him. "But Draco," she pouted, her whiny little voice annoying Hermione immensely.

"Just get off me Pansy," Draco said, gritting his teeth. He rolled his eyes at Hermione who bit back a laugh. "But I'm not even on you," Pansy said. "Although I could be if you wanted to take me back to your room right now." she purred, trying to sound sexy.

Hermione's eyes widened and she shot a look at Draco who was sending her a its-not-my-fault-help-me look at her. Pansy looked up at Draco's face and saw the look her gave Hermione. Her eyes narrowed and she shot a quick look at Millicent who gave her an I-told-you-so look.

"Shut up," she hissed at Millicent who looked the other way.

"Why are you looking at the Mudblood, Drakie?" Pansy asked loudly as she tightened her arms even more around his arm. if that was even possible.

"I hope you're not talking about Miss Granger," a voice said from behind them. Pansy turned her head and saw Professor McGonagall looking at her severely. "No Professor," she mumbled, letting go of Draco's arm who stepped away in relief. "Good," Professor McGonagall said. She clapped her hands twice. "Listen up!" she said.

The conversation stopped as everyone looked at the professor expectantly. "Professor Snape will be a few minutes late as he is in a meeting with the headmaster at the current moment." Profsesor McGonagall explained. She stepped up to the classroom door and unlocked it. "You are all to wait inside the classroom quietly for his arrival." With that being said she opened the door and turned around and walked away.

The students filed into the empty classroom and sat down at the desks. Pansy tugged Draco down next to her and Hermione sat by Ron. Draco sent a wistful glance toward Hermione who returned it just as Snape walked in the door.

"Book out and open! Get out a parchment and your quill." he roared as he stomped toward the front of the room, his robes billowing behind him. He slammed his wand toward the board. "Copy down these notes NOW," he growled at them.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Snape's anger but shrugged it off and started working. _Thank goodness it's only a forty-five minute class today_ she thought.

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Pansy's mind whirled with thought. She was thinking about Draco and Granger having to share a dorm. _Stupid mudblood. It can't be her. It just can't. Maybe Millicent was wrong. Draco loved HER right? Right._ she thought. But just to be sure, she was going to keep Draco close to her as often as possible.

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Author's Note: As always….review! press the pretty purple button...you know you want to! D

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	21. First Hogsmeade Day part 1

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Author's Note: EEp! It took me sooo long to get this up. Sorry! ima try and update more often.

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**First Hogsmeade Day**

The next few days passed with Pansy watching Draco like a hawk. She hovered over him every chance she got. The only place he was free from her was the Head's Common Room. Because of this he ended up spending most of his free time in the Head's Common Room with Hermione.

Finally, it was Saturday. The first Hogsmeade day of the school year had arrived. Hermione got up at seven that morning just to prepare for the day. She hummed quietly to herself as she took a shower and then dressed in jeans and a light pink halter top.

Draco woke up when he heard Hermione running the water in the bathroom. He got up and yawned, stretching his arms above his head languidly. He strode across his room to his closet and took out his towel. He waited until he heard Hermione's door shut and then proceeded down to the bathroom to take his shower.

He finished getting ready for the first Hogsmeade day of the year. He dressed in black jeans and a white shirt underneath black robes. He walked out to the common room to wait for Hermione.

Hermione joined Draco in the common room a few minutes later. He leaned down and kissed her softly. Hermione kissed him back for a minute, easing up on her tiptoes toward him before she broke it off. She smiled shyly up at him and he grinned back down at her. He raised her hand toward him and kissed it before bowing to her.

"Shall we?" he asked, gesturing toward the door. Hermione giggled and answered, "We shall." before taking the arm he offered her and walking to the door with him.

At the door, they unlocked arms and Hermione slipped through the portrait hole into the hall. She smiled sadly at Draco before scurrying off to go find Harry and Ron. Draco watched her hurry down the hall before climbing through the portrait hole to go meet up with Pansy and Blaise.

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After breakfast, the three Gryffindors wandered out to the Entrance Hall. Hermione listened as Harry and Ron chattered endlessly about Quidditch. As more and more students filled the Entrance Hall, Hermione looked around for Draco.

When the Hall was filled, Professor McGonagall walked to the front of the crowd. "Calm down," she called out. The noise died down as everyone turned to look expectantly at the professor.

"Will the Head Boy and Head Girl please come up to the front?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Hermione caught a glimpse of platinum blonde hair out of the corner of her eye and she turned her head slightly to the right to see Draco making his way toward the front. Hermione followed him up to Professor McGonagall.

The professor spoke quietly to the two Heads while the students watched curiously. "I know you two don't exactly get along, but, as you know, the two of you are required to patrol Hogsmeade for an hour today. Please do not argue or do anything that will set a bad example for Hogwarts." She looked sternly at them.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall." they both mumbled, trying not to smile at how the professor talked to them like they still wanted to kill each other.

"Good," she said crisply. "Because I would hate to see either of you lose your head position over something as trivial as your hatred for each other."

At these words, Hermione hid her smile and attempted to look serious. Draco, however, couldn't help himself and burst out laughing. The professor raised her eyebrows and glared at him. "Is something funny, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked severely.

Hermione elbowed Draco in the side and he choked back another laugh. "No, no," he mumbled, avoiding the professor's questioning gaze.

"Alright, then." the professor said, throwing a curious glance at Hermione who looked away.

Professor McGonagall raised her voice so all the students could hear her clearly. "Please give Mr. Filch your name and once he checks you off the list, you may proceed to Hogwarts. Follow the Head Boy and Head Girl as they," she indicated to Draco and Hermione," are prepared to face any obstacle in your path, should you come to any. There are already several teachers at Hogsmeade. Have fun but be careful." she advised them. She waved her arm toward Filch. "You are dismissed."

Hermione and Draco nodded to Filch as they walked by him first and he checked them off the list. The rest of the students scrambled into a crooked sort of line for Filch to check them off.

As the students followed Hermione and Draco to Hogsmeade, Hermione looked around warily and drew her wand out of her pocket, pausing for a slight second.

Draco noticed this and whispered, "What? What's wrong?" urgently.

"I don't know," Hermione admitted. "But something just doesn't feel right." A sudden, ice-cold wind blew by them and Hermione's eyes narrowed slightly as she shivered in the rush of cold air.

"That's strange," Draco said, glancing up at the sky. "I thought it was supposed to be warm today."

"It _**is**_ supposed to be warm today," Hermione said, gritting her teeth as another blast of cold air rushed by. Draco quietly reached inside his robe and drew his wand out too. He glanced behind them as they turned a corner and saw that the rest of the students lagged several feet behind.

He shrugged his black robes off of him and placed them on Hermione's shoulder. She looked up gratefully at him. "Thanks," she said sincerely. She smiled up at him and he reached down and brushed his hand against hers for a split second as the rest of the students began to turn around the corner.

The rest of the trip to Hogsmeade was uneventful. They made their way to Hogsmeade, glancing around every once in a while at their surroundings. However, no one noticed that hidden deep in the bushes that grew along the path, a pair of eyes watched them intently.

The eyes narrowed as they watched the interaction between the Mudblood Gryffindor Princess and the Pureblood Slytherin Prince. As the students disappeared around the next corner into Hogsmeade, Nagini hissed angrily and slither off into the depths of the forest.

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As the Hogwarts students piled into Hogsmeade, Hermione used her wand to magnify her voice. "Ok! We're here, as you can see, so have fun everyone! Prefects do not forget your assigned patrol times." she said cheerily. The students hurried off in several different directions.

Hermione turned to Draco wearily. "Well, we patrol first so where do you want to start?"

Draco pointed at the Three Broomsticks. "Let's stop in there first and get a couple of butterbeers to drink while we patrol."

"Alright," Hermione agreed. They made their way through the throng of students that were milling around the main street of Hogsmeade and walked into the cool interior of the Three Broomsticks.

"Hello," a young waitress at the counter greeted them. "Can I get you anything?"

"Yes, two butterbeers please," Draco said, taking out a couple of galleons.

The young miss went into the back and came back with two bottles of butterbeer. "Anything else?"

"No, that'll be all for right now, thanks." Draco said politely.

"Ok, that'll be two galleons." the young girl said, punching a few buttons into a cash register.

Draco paid her and they left the restaurant. They walked up and down the streets of Hogsmeade, keeping an eye out for any of the students playing pranks and being too unruly while checking around for any sight of danger. Their hour passed quickly and they found themselves laughing together and they made their way back to the main street.

"Did you see the look on that girl's face when I said that?" Draco gasped out, laughing so hard he almost fell over.

Hermione giggled, "The look on the boy's face was _priceless_," she managed to get out before bursting back into laughter.

They turned the corner back onto the main street and ran into Harry, Ron, Blaise, and Pansy. The smile immediately left Hermione's face as she saw her two best friends glaring at Blaise and Pansy.


	22. First Hogsmeade Day part 2

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Author's Note: Okay! I'm doing better on how long it takes me to update! And I've already started on the next chapter. Thanks to all of you who are reviewing! Without you, I wouldn't have continued with the story. 333

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**First Hogsmeade Day part 2**

The four students turned and looked at Hermione and Draco. Blaise's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of Hermione and Draco laughing together. "Something going on here, Drake my man?" he asked casually.

Draco raised an eyebrow and scowled at Blaise. "It's called patrolling." he said.

"Looks like a lot more than patrolling to me," Blaise said, "the way you two walked around that corner together."

Draco sneered at Blaise. "And just what, my dear _Blaise_, did it look like to you?"

"Well, _Draco_, it looks like you and our _precious_ Mudblood here..." Blaise began.

"Don't call her that," Draco snarled, interrupting Blaise. Harry's eyes widened a slight bit when he heard what Draco said. Pansy's mouth dropped open.

"Since when do you defend _her_?" she demanded to know. Draco merely sent her a sideways glance as if noticing her for the first time and then ignored her. Pansy frowned and then stood back quietly, glaring at Hermione.

"What?" Mudblood?" Blaise taunted. Harry's jaw grew tight and he glared at Blaise while Ron looked ready to kill him. However, everyone was surprised when Draco's hand shot out and grabbed the collar of Blaise's shirt. He stepped forward and stood right in front of Blaise. "I said don't call her that," he said threateningly.

"Draco!" Pansy gasped. "What the hell are you doing?"

Hermione looked worried. "Draco, please, just forget it," she begged him.

Draco tensed when he heard Hermione's request but let go of Blaise and stepped away from him. Hermione relaxed visibly and sent a small smile toward him.

Blaise smirked as he regained him composure. "As I was saying, you two are getting a bit _too_ chummy for my liking."

Hermione scoffed, "Who cares what you like?"

"Well, _I _don't like it either," Ron said. He looked to Harry who nodded his agreement wordlessly. "isn't your hour for patrolling over now?" Ron asked Hermione. She nodded slightly.

Ron glared at Malfoy and Blaise and then turned back to Hermione. "Then let's get the bloody hell away from these _Slytherins_," he emphasized the word, "and go get something to eat."

Hermione glanced at Draco out of the corner of her eye and saw him glaring at Ron. "Erm, well..."

"C'mon!" Ron demanded. He motioned toward the main street with his arms. "Let's go! Now, Hermione!"

"Well, actually, Draco and I were planning to discuss our Head duties," Hermione ventured weakly.

Draco smirked at Ron who stalled for a second before replying, "Well you and Draco have all night to discuss head duties. We, however, only get to come to Hogsmeade every couple of weeks." He folded his arms defiantly across his chest.

Hermione didn't know what to say next so she drank the last of the butterbeer in her bottle.

Draco's smirk grew even wider. "Trust me, Weaselbee, if Hermione and I were doing anything at night, it wouldn't be discussing." He winked maliciously at Ron and Ron flushed a deep red just thinking of the connotation.

"Oh," Pansy squeaked. She fanned herself with her hand. "I don't feel so…." She swayed back and forth for a second before fainting. Blaise caught her, continuing to glare at Hermione. Harry glanced over at Pansy and everyone else ignored that fact that she was still there.

Hermione's eyes widened and she choked on the butterbeer. "Draco!" she managed to gasp out weakly. Ron's jaw grew taut and he narrowed his eyes at Draco. "Touch her and you'll pay," he threatened.

Hermione gave him a weird look once she regained her breath. "I don't belong to you, Ronald." she said severely. "Now as I said before, Draco and I have Head duties to discuss as well as planning the next Hogsmeade day."

Ron stood up straight and looked Draco in the eye. "Keep your hands off her, Malfoy." he growled. He spun around and stormed off, quite a bit put out that Hermione had chosen Draco over him and Harry. Harry turned around and ran after Ron, still not sure what to do. He glanced over his shoulder once at Hermione and she shrugged helplessly.

Blaise pointed his wand at Pansy. "_Ennerverate_."Pansy's eyes fluttered open and he helped her stand up. She turned to Hermione furiously. "Get away from my Drakie!" she screeched. She started to lunge at Hermione but Hermione stepped back quickly and pointed her wand and stupefied her.

Pansy fell over sideways and continued to glare up at Hermione who exhaled deeply. She turned to Draco and said, "Maybe we should leave now," with a wary glance toward where Pansy and Blaise were.

She turned and started to walk away with Draco following her. Blaise stepped up to Draco and whispered menacingly in his ear, "Just wait until your father hears about this, Draco. Purebloods just don't mix with mudb---muggleborns. Ever."

He slid back to where Pansy was. He pointed his wand at her, "Finite Incanteum," he said softly. He helped her to her feet and then turned to Draco once more. "Neither do Slytherins and Gryffindors." he said, shooting Draco one last glare before walking off with Pansy.

Draco watched them walk away, his fist clenched tightly around his wand. "Draco?" a voice said from behind him.

He turned around in surprise and saw Hermione standing behind him, still looking a bit worried. "Let's go," he said gruffly. He walked off toward the castle and Hermione followed dutifully, wondering what had just happened.

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In the Three Broomsticks, Ron was waving his arms around wildly. "Can you believe her, Harry?! She absolutely blew us off to go off with that FERRET!" He pounded his fist down on the table angrily. "Oh, bloody hell. Well, I'll tell you one thing, she has not heard the last of this!" He sunk back down in his seat, sulking and muttering something under his breath about prats and loyalty.

Harry cast his eyes around the restaurant, a bit confused about what had happened. He knew Hermione well enough to know that she wouldn't just trust anyone. And apparently she trusted Malfoy. He shook his head wonderingly. He couldn't even begin to _fathom_ what would make her trust Malfoy. Or even be friendly toward him. Merlin knew how many times Hermione had run off crying about something Malfoy had said to her. His eyes narrowed slightly. If Malfoy ever, _ever_ hurt Hermione again, he would pay. Oh, yes. He would pay oh-so-dearly.

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What to look for in the next chapter: **What Lucius Knows.**

_In his anger he grabbed the vase closest to him and whirled around, throwing it at the wall. It smashed into a thousand pieces and he clutched the edge of the table tightly, breathing in deeply. His eyes narrowed. "He is __**going**__ to pay for this," he vowed._

**and**

"_Here, this just came for you." Hermione said as she handed him a rolled up parchment._

_Draco unfolded the letter and read it slowly. A few minutes later he looked up at Hermione grimly. "It's a letter. From my father."_


	23. What Lucius Knows

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Author's Note: Yay! Another chapter up! D thanks for all the reviews, everyone. You really encourage me to continue writing! Thanks! 3

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Lucius Malfoy was furious. No, make that _beyond_ furious. He crumpled the parchment he had just finished reading in his hand and dropped it on the floor, crushing it with his heel.

In his anger he grabbed the vase closest to him and whirled around, throwing it at the wall. It smashed into a thousand pieces and he clutched the edge of the table tightly, breathing in deeply. His eyes narrowed. "He is going to _pay_ for this," he vowed.

He picked the parchment up off the floor and smoothed it out. He read the letter once more and then flung it in the fireplace. The fire danced merrily as it consumed the letter. He sunk down into the armchair and glared furiously at the fire. He stood up abruptly and crossed the room to his desk. He pulled the chair out noisily and sat down in a huff. He grabbed a piece of parchment and dipped his quill in ink as he began to write. The noise of the quill scratching on the parchment filled the otherwise quiet room.

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Ron slammed his hands against the table and stomped out of the Great Hall. Hermione winced as she sat down next to Harry. He raised an eyebrow at her and continued eating in silence.

"Oh, come on!" she said, exasperated. "You're not going to ignore me just because I'm nice to Draco, are you?"

"Of course he's not going to," Ginny said breezily as she sat down across from Harry and Hermione. "But Ron might." she added before piling food onto her plate.

Hermione groaned and rested her head on her arms. "Great, just great," she mumbled.

"Look at the good side," Ginny said brightly. "At least you don't have to listen to his ranting all day long." She picked up a muffin and bit into it.

Hermione sighed. "I'd rather listen to him yelling than have him so angry at me that he won't even look at me." she said woefully. She glanced across the room to the Slytherin table and saw Draco engaged in a heated conversation with Pansy while Blaise ignored them.

"Are you going to eat anything, Hermione?" Harry suddenly inquired, glancing at the empty plate that was before her. Hermione looked at the food on the table and shook her head. "No," she said as she pushed the plate away from her, "Suddenly I'm not very hungry."

She frowned slightly and bit her lip, worrying about how she was going to get Ron's friendship back. "I'm going to go find Ron," she announced as she began to stand up.

Ginny's eyebrows shot way up. "Are you _wishing_ for a death sentence?" she asked in surprise.

Hermione gave her a wry smile. "I seriously doubt that Ron would kill me, no matter how angry he may be at the moment." She stepped away from the table and said, "Wish me luck though!" Giving them a small smile, she walked out of the Great Hall.

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Draco watched as Hermione walked out of the Great Hall. He sighed defeated and turned back to Pansy who was still rambling on about the day before. "Are you still talking, Parkinson?" he asked in a bored tone.

Pansy looked hurt for a second and then sneered at him. "Thinking about the mudblood again, Drakie?" Her eyes widened as he glared at her.

"I thought I said yesterday to never call her that again." he said, gritting his teeth.

_Uh-oh_, Pansy thought. She looked away from his angry gaze nervously. "Well," she began, "you know its reflex! And I don't get why you're nice to her all of a sudden," she said sulkily. She crossed her arms and frowned down at tabletop.

"Maybe," Draco drawled, "because she happens to be a very nice person, no matter her lineage."

"Nice person in bed maybe," Blaise muttered angrily under his breath. He was incensed at Draco. Even if Draco was his best friend, he would never understand how he could go against his own blood or for that matter – his own house!

Draco turned to Blaise and raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, did you say something?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.

Blaise held up his hands. "Nothing, nothing at all, Drake." He hated it when Draco didn't tell me things. He glared grumpily at the floor and soon enough, Draco turned his attention back to eating. Blaise began to think about everything that had happened that year with Draco. Ever since Draco had become Head boy, he had become more aloof from Blaise. _I don't understand why he didn't tell me he was friends with Granger,_ Blaise thought disgruntled. _I wouldn't have minded so much if he'd just told me! He knows how much I hate secrets. And I still can't believe he'd go against everything we were ever taught about muggleborns. Stupid Granger. Always has to ruin everything._

The sound of Draco getting up from the table brought Blaise back to reality and he blinked once. Turning his head to look up at Draco he sneered, "Have fun with the muggleborn, Draco."

Draco glared back at Blaise and said, "Don't worry, I have much more fun with her around than I ever had with either of you." Throwing a scornful look at his best friend and that annoying pug of a girl Pansy, he turned and walked decisively out of the Great Hall.

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"Ron?" Hermione asked tentatively as she stepped through the portrait into the Gryffindor common room. She gazed at her best friend who was staring stonily into the fireplace. "Ron."

Ron's voice was cold. "What do you want?" he snapped. Hermione winced, she hated it when he was angry like this. "I just want to talk to you," she said quietly.

"I'd rather talk to someone who didn't betray me," Ron said, turning around to glare at her. She gave him her most pleading look and crossed the room to sit in front of him.

"How on earth did I "betray" you, Ronald?" she asked, almost amused by how dramatic Ron was being. He stared at her.

"Why the bloody HELL would you want to be even remotely nice to _Malfoy_?" Ron whined. "Don't you remember all the horrible things he does to you? Calling you mudblood, insulting me and Harry…" his voice trailed off as Hermione stood up in front of him and crossed her arms angrily.

"Of course I remember how he did all those horrible things." she shot back. "But tell me, Ron, has he insulted you at all this year?"

Ron thought for a minute and grudgingly said, "Well, no."

"Has he insulted Harry?" Hermione challenged him.

Ron's brow furrowed, "Well, no." he admitted a second time.

"And lastly he hasn't called me a mudblood," Hermione finished triumphantly. She smirked at the look that appeared on Ron's face as he tried in vain to think of something horrible Malfoy had done.

Ron frowned at Hermione. "Alright, alright." he said grumpily. "You win. But I still think Malfoy's a bloody obnoxious prat."

Hermione clapped her hands gleefully. "So you're not mad at me?" she asked hopefully.

Ron shook his head. "No," he said defeatedly. Hermione squealed happily and kneeled down in front of Ron, hugging him tightly. She kissed him lightly on the cheek as she stood up, making him blush slightly. "Thank you, Ron!" she said, a smile on her face. "C'mon! I'm hungry now…let's go down and get something to eat."

Ron nodded silently and followed Hermione down to the Great Hall, his hand touching his cheek where she had kissed him.

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Draco whispered the password to the couple in the portrait and it swung open. He stepped inside and looked around for Hermione. "Hermione?" he called out. "Are you in here?" When he received no answer, he frowned slightly. _Maybe she went to the library_, he thought. He glanced around the room once more and shrugged resignedly before turning around and heading to the library.

As he passed the Great Hall once again, he saw Hermione and Ron sitting at the Gryffindor table, laughing at something Harry had said. _Oh, looks like Ron's not angry anymore _he thought in surprise. He frowned as he tried to remember where he had been headed. The library. Didn't look like he needed to go there anymore. He turned around and headed back up to his dorm room to relax in the bath.

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Hermione skipped happily into the Head Dorm, a smile beaming on her face. "Draco? she called. "Draco?" A muffled sound came from the bathroom and she grinned wickedly. "What was that you said, Draco?" she asked as she opened the door slightly. She heard a yelp and then Draco yelled out, "For Merlin's sake, Hermione! Shut the door! You're letting in the cold air!"

She stepped inside and shut the door behind her, leaning against it while she grinned at Draco whose eyes were wide opened. "What are you doing?" he asked curiously. "I was just wondering where you were," Hermione said, grinning at his discomfort. She opened the door and turned around before leaving, "By the way, you have a big bubble on top of your head," she said giggling. She closed the door behind her and walked across the room to sink down onto the Gryffindor couch.

She had just closed her eyes when the sound of wings alerted her of an owl. Her eyes snapped open and she saw a regal looking, black owl perched on the windowsill. "Well, hello there," she said softly as she walked toward it. It looked bored and immediately held its leg out for her to take the rolled up piece of parchment off. She removed the parchment and noticed it was addressed to Draco. She patted the owl and it fluffed its feathers and then took off out the window. She smiled after it and looked curiously at the envelope in her heads. She shrugged and laid it on the table next to the window, going back to lay down on her couch.

Several minutes later, she heard the bathroom door open up and sat up. She smiled at Draco and got up from the couch, walking toward the window. She picked up the parchment and walked over to him.

"Here, this just came for you." Hermione said as she handed him a rolled up parchment.

Draco unfolded the letter and read it slowly. A few minutes later he looked up at Hermione grimly. "It's a letter. From my father."

She stiffened visibly and her eyes flickered over to the paper he was holding. "Well? Is it bad news?" she asked with bated breath.

"Apparently he knows I'm being friendly to you and not giving you a horrible time as Head Boy," he said wryly.

"But how does he know?" Hermione asked desperately. "He doesn't know about _us_, does he?" she asked, fear evident in her eyes.

Draco shook his head. "No, but he's pretty angry with me right now. So we really need to keep our relationship private for a while, at least until he's cooled down a bit. No telling what he might try and do you or me if he found out."

Hermione bit her lip and looked down. "Alright," she said slowly. "But we can still be together in private, like here in the dorm right?" she asked hopefully. Draco nodded at her and a sigh of relief escaped her. "Good," she said, a bit happier.

Draco grinned down at her as she smiled up at him and then leaned down to kiss her. All thought of Lucius flew from their minds as their lips met.

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What to look for in the next chapter: **Beware of Pansy**

_Pansy shrieked and lurched forward, slapping Hermione soundly across the face. Hermione gasped and stumbled backward as her hand flew up to where Pansy had hit her. "I told you to stay away from him, didn't I Mudblood?" Pansy sneered._

**and**

_Pansy's mouth dropped open as Draco came out of nowhere and stepped in front of Hermione.. "Well, hello Pansy." he said raising an eyebrow at her. "And just __**what**__ do you think you're doing?" _

"_No, Draco. The real question is what do you think __**you're**__ doing?" Pansy said, glaring at him. He raised his other eyebrow wordlessly and she scowled. "Don't think you're getting away with this." she said angrily. _


	24. Beware of Pansy

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Author's Note: Alright, alright. I know I haven't updated in a while! Forgive me?

I'm taking a college class this summer so I've been really busy. But it ends this Thursday so hopefully I can start updating more rapidly! Thanks to all of you who have reviewed so far! I really appreciate it! D  
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**Beware of Pansy**

"My Lord," a silky voice murmured from the darkness of the room.

"You may approach, Lucius," Voldemort said in his cold voice. A blonde-haired man strode across the room and knelt down in front of his master, kissing the bottom of his robes. He then rose and stood with his back perfectly straight.

"Well? What have you found out about your _boy _after Nagini reported back to me?" Voldemort spat out. Lucius swallowed hard. "My Lord, he has not yet responded to the letter I sent him yesterday."

"As soon as he writes back, you will report directly to me," Voldemort said coldly. "I will not have some filthy mudblood messing around with one of my future Death Eaters. I expect him to be as loyal as you are."

Lucius bowed his head. "Yes, my lord. Nothing will go wrong. I will make sure of it."

"Good. Because if something does go wrong, you will be punished." the Dark Lord sneered.

"I understand, my lord. I assure you I will keep a close eye on Draco." Lucius purred, trying to hide the small twinge of fear he felt. He had been on the receiving end of the Dark Lord's punishments before and it was…well, let's just say someone would rather be murdered and brought back to life only to be murdered brutally again than have to endure the Dark Lord's punishments.

"You may leave." Voldemort said, dismissing Lucius from his presence.

"Yes, m' lord." Lucius murmured, bowing his head and backing slowly out of the room.

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Pansy glowered at the mirror. "Stupid mudblood bitch." she muttered under her breath, thinking of the way Draco had defended Granger. She smiled sweetly at the mirror and then leaned forward and kissed her reflection. "Don't know how Draco could pick her over you," she told her reflection before pouting.

She moved away from her mirror and was about to open the door when it swung open wildly. Pansy jumped back to avoid being hit and Millicent came lumbering in and threw herself down on her bed. "Gee, Bulstrode, think you can swing the door open any harder next time? You almost hit me!" Pansy whined.

Millicent rolled her eyes at Pansy. "Get over it," she grumbled. She rolled over wearily and yawned.

"What's your problem?" Pansy sneered.

Millicent sat up and stared at Pansy. "My **problem**, Parkinson, is the fact that you kept muttering something about mudbloods and purebloods last night in your sleep and made it so **I** **couldn't** **SLEEP**!"

Pansy's jaw dropped open. I do _not_ talk in my sleep!" she said indignantly.

"Well, apparently you do." Millicent said exasperatedly. "Now please shut up. I want to get some shut-eye before class." She laid back down and turned over onto her side to sleep.

Pansy glared at Millicent for a moment before spinning around and marching out of the door. Maybe Drakie would be down in the Great Hall and she could talk to him. Try to knock some sense into that brain of his. He deserved someone much better than a mudblood. Someone like her.

She climbed out of the portrait hole and was making her way toward the Great Hall when she saw Hermione by herself. Pansy grinned wickedly. Now seemed like an awfully good time to have a little _one-to-one_ talk about **her **Drakie. "Granger!" she called out.

Hermione stopped walking and turned around. Oh, great. Just the person she wanted to see….not. She sighed and rolled her as Pansy walked toward her. "What do you want, Parkinson?"

"I want to know what you did to Draco to make him want to spend so much time with you," Pansy said, clenching her jaw. She tried to come off as intimidating but she really just made herself look even uglier.

Hermione gave her a weird look. "I didn't do anything to him," she said slowly.

"Stop lying, Mudblood," Pansy snapped. "Of course you did something. Why the hell would he want to be around _you_?"

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because I'm not a stupid whore like you?" Hermione said innocently. She snickered under her breath as a look of shock registered across Pansy's face.

Pansy shrieked and lurched forward, slapping Hermione soundly across the face. Hermione gasped and stumbled backward as her hand flew up to where Pansy had hit her. "I told you to stay away from him, didn't I Mudblood?" Pansy sneered.

When are you going to learn, _**Parkinson**_, that I don't give a damn _what_ you tell me to do?" Hermione snarled back at Pansy.

"You should care! I'm a pureblood and you're just a mudblood. You **should** be listening to me." Pansy said desperately. That's what she had always heard from her parents. Mudbloods would always be inferior to purebloods and they should submit to their superiors.

"So?" Hermione shrugged. "Why does that matter?"

"It _matters_ because that means that I'm superior to you!" Pansy cried out.

Hermione laughed. "_You?_ Superior to **me**? Don't think it works that way, Parkinson. I mean, look at it this way. If you're so superior, then why am I way smarter than you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow,

Pansy tried desperately to think of something to say. "Shut up, Mudblood. Brains aren't everything." Pansy snapped back at her.

Hermiome just laughed. "I know brains aren't everything. In fact in your case, they're nothing." she said sweetly. "Now if you could just let me by, I'd like to go eat something." She tried to move past Pansy but Pansy whipped out her wand and leveled it at Hermione's throat.

"You're not going anywhere, you stupid Mudblood." she snarled at Hermione. "Where do you think you get off calling me stupid?"

Eyeing Pansy's wand warily, Hermione thought for a minute and then pushed Pansy's arm aside. "You're right. Calling you stupid is an **insult** to stupid people everywhere."

Pansy's mouth dropped open as Draco came out of nowhere and stepped in front of Hermione.. "Well, hello Pansy." he said raising an eyebrow at her. "And just what do you think you're doing?" He glanced pointedly at the wand she still had pointed at Hermione.

"No, Draco. The real question is what do you think you're doing?" Pansy said, glaring at him. He raised his other eyebrow wordlessly and she scowled. "Don't think you're getting away with this." she said angrily.

"Getting away with what, Parkinson?" he asked dubiously. "Trying to keep you from getting detention?"

"Why would I be getting detention?" Pansy asked. Her brow furrowed. "You don't make any sense." she whined.

Draco looked down at her. "Considering the fact that it looks like you're _threatening_ the Head Girl, I think that would warrant any teacher to give you a detention."

Pansy lowered her wand. "Well, she insulted me." she said pouting.

Draco shrugged. "Well good for her. You probably started insulting her first anyway." He watched as Pansy scowled, angry that he was taking Hermione's side instead of hers.

"Whatever," Pansy grumbled. She shoved her wand back into her robes and turned around, stomping off toward the Great Hall.

Draco watched her leave and then turned to Hermione. "What happened?" he asked her curiously.

Hermione shook her head. "Doesn't matter really. She just wanted to know what I'd done to you to make you want to be around me so much."

Draco grinned. "She's _jealous_? I knew every girl here wanted me!"

Hermione shook her head, a smile on her lips. "You're impossible, Draco." she said, laughing softly.

He just smiled down at her. "Let's go to breakfast now, okay?"

She nodded and walked beside him as they headed toward the Great Hall where they then went their separate ways.

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Pansy watched as Hermione and Draco came into the Great Hall together and then went to their separate tables. She scowled as she thought about how close they were becoming. This could totally ruin her plans [and her parents plans to marry Draco. She couldn't afford to lose him to some…mudblood.

She racked her brain for anything she could do. Hmmm. Lucius wouldn't put up with it if he knew how close Draco was becoming with a mudblood. Perhaps she would write him a little _letter_. She smiled proudly. That was it. Lucius knew the Parkinsons and would take her seriously. Then maybe Lucius could set Draco straight and everything would work out perfectly.

She resolved that as soon as class was over, she would write Draco's father a little letter.

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What to look for in the next chapter: **I'm Sorry**

"_I think I am going to pay a little visit to Hogwarts and find out just what's really going on."_

**and**

_Hermione crept up behind the door and listened through the open crack. What she heard next, made her flee in tears._

**and**

"_Hermione, please! Please. Just let me explain!" he cried out as Hermione scrambled across the room in a haste to get away from him. He sunk down onto the couch and closed his eyes in despair as her door slammed shut._


	25. I'm Sorry

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Author's Note: Eep! I've been so busy! But here's the next chapter! And I made it longer than the last one! As always, Please Review!!

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**I'm Sorry**  
Lucius was sitting in his study when a house-elf ambled into the room, apparently looking for him. "Master," the house-elf said timidly. It held out a letter. "This just arrived for you." it squeaked, looking down at its feet. Lucius snatched the parchment out of the house-elf's hand.

"You are dismissed," he said coldly. The house-elf scurried out of the room, closing the door quietly behind itself. Lucius ripped open the letter and read it.

_To Mr. Lucius Malfoy,_

_I thought it best to tell you that Draco seems to be spending a lot of time with that mudblood Hermione Granger. He has told me that it is just because he is Head Boy and she is Head Girl but I'm not quite sure he is being completely truthful with me. I would hate to see such a revered pureblood name as Malfoy be destroyed because of him consorting with this….muggbleborn. Besides, there are much better girls out there for him. Like me._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Pansy Parkinson_

Lucius frowned at the letter. His son wouldn't dare do anything with a mudblood. However, since Nagini had reported back to his Lord about Draco seeming to be quite close with this…Granger girl, he thought it best to look into it.

He stood up and stalked out of the room. His son better not be doing anything with that mudblood because if he was….well, let's just not finish that sentence right now.

"Narcissa! Where are you? Narcissa! Get down here!" he roared. He waited impatiently for her to come to him, tapping his boot against the well-polished marble floor.

Narcissa heard her husband yelling her name and dropped the book she was reading. She hurried down the stairs as fast as she could and found him in the foyer. "What, Lucius? What's happened?" she asked, worriedly. The look on his face made her want to cringe. She was always afraid of him when he was angry.

"It looks like your _son_ has become quite close with that Mudblood Granger." Lucius spat out, shoving the letter in her face. He paced around the room while Narcissa read the letter. She shook inwardly, fearing for her son. That stupid Parkinson girl. Didn't she know that if Lucius became extremely angry or if, Merlin forbid, Lord Voldemort found out, that Draco was as good as dead?

"Well, what are you going to do? I'm sure this isn't true." Narcissa said, her voice wavering slightly.

Lucius whirled around and scowled at her. "I think I am going to pay a little visit to Hogwarts and find out just what's really going on." he said scornfully. "Ready the floo for me, Narcissa. I'll be flooing into Hogsmeade and then apparating to just outside Hogwarts.

Narcissa bit her lip as Lucius swept out of the room. She hurried over to the fireplace and unblocked the floo network. She then scurried back across the room and grabbed up a piece of parchment and a quill. She hurriedly wrote a note to Draco and then folded it up. She called Achilles, her own owl, and sent him to deliver it to her son.

As she watched the owl fly away, she worried that it wouldn't get there in time. She turned around as Lucius came back in the room. "Goodbye, Lucius!" she called out as he threw some floo powder into the fireplace and disappeared. She threw a worried glance out the window and sat down in a chair to wait Achilles' return.

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Draco was sitting in the common room reading a book when he heard a tap at the window. He turned and saw his mother's owl tapping at the window. He immediately got up and rushed toward the window. His mother only sent him owls if something was wrong. He let Achilles into the room and the owl stuck out its leg from him to take the letter off. He removed the letter quickly and tore it open.

_Draco,_

_Your father received a letter from the Parkinson girl. It said something about how you have been getting quite….close…with that muggleborn girl. Granger, I think her name is. Anyway, your father is on his way to pay you a little visit. Please don't do anything that might anger him more._

_Love,_

_Mother_

Draco sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm his pounding heart. Great. Just bloody great. He looked down at the letter again and then ran to the window. He looked out over the Hogwarts grounds and saw a lone figure coming toward the castle.

Looking around frantically, he ran to Hermione's room. He pounded on her door. "Hermione! HERMIONE!" She didn't answer. He flung the door open and saw she was gone. He groaned. Now he couldn't even warn her that his father was coming into the castle.

He bit his lip and thought quickly. Perhaps she would be in the library. Tearing out of the Common Room, he headed down to the library as fast as he could. He flung the door open to the library so hard, it banged against the wall. Madam Pince looked up at him and glared. "Get out," she said crisply, raising her hand to point it toward the corridor.

Draco ignored her. "Is Hermione in here?" he asked breathlessly. Madam Pince shook her head, tight-lipped. "Do you know where she is?" he asked again, beginning to panic slightly. Madam Pince pointed toward the door again. "No, I do not. Now _**leave**_ Mr. Malfoy."

Draco whirled around and ran out of the room, letting the door slam shut behind him. Madam Pince's shriek of rage could be heard down the corridor but he ignored it. He didn't have time to be polite.

Where could she have bloody gone? A thousand places flickered through his mind but he knew he didn't have time to check them all. For all he knew, she could be in the Gryffindor Common Room and he hadn't yet bothered to learn the week's passwords for the House Common Rooms.

Sighing in resignation, he headed back up to his common room to meet his father. He had just sat down on the Slytherin couch in the common room when a sharp rap came at the door. He took a quick glance around the room and saw his mother's note was on the table. Shoving it into the table drawer, he went and opened the door.

His father stood in the doorway, smirking at his son. "Hello, Draco." he drawled.

"Father?," Draco said, acting surprised. He stood aside and let his father into the room, letting the portrait swing shut. Neither of them noticed, however, that the door didn't close completely but left a small crack between the portrait and the doorframe.

Draco turned around and face his father. "What brings you to Hogwarts?" he asked casually. His father sneered at him. "I've been hearing some…._interesting_ rumors about you lately and decided to check them out myself."

Draco's heart pounded against his chest. He kept his face void of any emotion and gestured to his father to sit down. "Father, there are always rumors around here about me." he said, trying to sound bored. "They're just made up by someone who wants attention."

Lucius raised an eyebrow and smirked at Draco. "I'm sure this one is legitimate. I have some information that helps…_confirm_ this rumor from a very reliable source."

Draco raised his eyebrow in response. "And what is _this_ rumor about?" he asked dryly. He picked up a glass of water he had left on the table earlier that day. He raised it to his lips and took a drink just as Lucius answered the question.

"You and Potter's Golden Girl," Lucius said bluntly.

Draco choked on his drink. "_What_?" he said weakly, trying to get his breath back from choking. Lucius merely looked at him and repeated what he had said.

"You and the Granger girl."

"What about me and that Mudblood?" Draco demanded, setting his cup down on the table so hard that some water sloshed over the side.

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_Meanwhile…_

Hermione had just come from the Gryffindor Common Room where she had been watching Ron beat Harry at Wizard's Chess. She saw the portrait was already open slightly and was about to go in when she heard voices from inside the common room.

Hermione crept up behind the door and listened through the open crack. What she heard next, made her flee in tears.

Neither of the men inside the room heard someone running away from the room.   
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Lucius sat back on the couch and swung one of his legs up onto the table. His expression hardened as he leaned forward. "Apparently, you and that Mudblood are quite close this days," he said, looking straight at Draco.

Draco's mouth dropped open. "What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded. "Your 'reliable' source must be crazy because there is no way in hell that I would ever get close to that Mudblood."

Lucius examined his fingernails. "Well, there is a chance that my source is wrong but do not deny that you have become closer to the girl."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Of _course_, I've become closer with Granger. She's the bloody Head Girl. You know as well as I do that if I'm not more polite to her that I could lose my position as Head Boy."

Lucius frowned at his son. "That's still no excuse to be friends with that girl." he said harshly. "The Dark Lord expects more of the Malfoy family then that and I will NOT have you ruining our position in his inner circle."

Draco gave a short laugh. "Friends? _Friends?_ There's no way I could ever be a friend to such filth," he said scornfully. "She may think we're friends but I know better. Besides, don't you think the Dark Lord would be pleased to know that one of Potter's best friends has befriended me?"

"Why would he be pleased to know that?" Lucius spat out. He stared at his son, trying to figure out what Draco was getting at.

"I mean," Draco said patiently, "that if this mudblood were to think we were friends, or perhaps, even more than friends…"

"WHAT?" Lucius bellowed. He stood up suddenly and glared at Draco. "I will _not_ have you tarnishing the Malfoy name!" he roared.

Draco stood up and glared right back at his father. "Let me finish," he snapped.

Lucius raised an eyebrow but stayed silent as Draco continued to speak.

"If this mudblood were to think we were more than friends and I were to play along with it for a while, I would be able to get some information on Potter for the Dark Lord. Not only that, but if this game continued until I crushed her little heart, she would be devastated and be of no help to Potter. " Draco drawled.

"Father, even you know that Granger is the brains of the trio. Without her, Potter and Weasley would be lost and would run right into our hands." He finished.

Lucius nodded his approval of Draco's "plan". "I will have to run this _plan_ of yours by the Dark Lord for his approval. For now, I will let the source know that they were wrong and that they are not to interfere with anything you do with Granger but will act normally." he said calmly. "Continue on with the Mudblood for right now."

Draco nodded silently. His mind was whirling with thoughts of relief.

Lucius spoke one last time. "I will be in touch with you soon, Draco, concerning the Dark Lord's approval. Goodbye." He turned and left the room in a flurry of black robes. He was gone as abruptly as he had arrived.

Draco strode to the portrait and pushed it close, leaning against it as his shoulders sagged with relief. He smiled as he thought of Hermione. Now they could be together without having to be scared of anyone. He couldn't wait to tell her what had just happened.

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Hermione sniffed tearfully as she dried her eyes with a paper towel. Myrtle watched her quietly. "You can share my bathroom with me," she offered. Her expression changed. "But you cannot have my toilet. You can have another one."

Hermione smiled at Myrtle, her eyes red from crying. She still couldn't believe what she had overheard. How could he be so cruel?

"Thanks, Myrtle, but I'll be fine." she said softly so as not to offend the ghost. Myrtle only nodded in reply and then swooped back into her toilet.

Hermione bit her lip as she left the bathroom. She didn't want to go back to the Head's Common Room but she knew she had to. Not only was her homework there but everything else she owned. With luck, perhaps Draco wouldn't even be there.

She walked slowly to the common room and then whispered the password to the portrait. It swung open and she climbed on through, her eyes cast downward. She looked up and froze as she locked eyes with Draco.

His eyes lit up and he stood up from his place on the couch, grinning at her. "Hermione," he cried out happily. "Where have you been?" He began to walk on over to her but stopped, confused, as she stepped back and cast her eyes downward. He stood there uncertainly. "Is something wrong?" he asked hesitantly.

When she finally looked back up to him, he was surprised to see her arms brimming with tears. "Hermione?" he asked once again, this time much more quietly.

She found her voice. "I heard you." she said softly.

Draco frowned. "What are you talking abou…Oh." He stopped speaking as he suddenly realized what she meant. He shook his head, "Hermione, you have to know that I didn't mean a word of it!"

She stood there wordlessly, refusing to look at him. "Hermione, come on." he pleaded. He took a step toward her. His heart sank as she bit her lip and backed away again, hurt evident in her eyes.

"I'm sorry for saying all of that. But you have to understand why I said it. Please. Just listen." he said desperately. She turned her head to look at him just as he took another step toward her and reached out to touch her. She jerked back in surprise at his closeness and moved quickly away from him.

"Hermione, please! Please. Just let me explain!" he cried out as Hermione scrambled across the room in a haste to get away from him. He sunk down onto the couch and closed his eyes in despair as her door slammed shut.

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**Forgiven?**

"_Looks like you have a secret admirer," Harry said, grinning and nudging her playfully._

**and**

"_What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron spat out. Draco shrugged. "I just wanted to speak with Hermione." _

"_Since when do you call her Hermione?" Ron demanded incredulously._

**and**

"_Am I forgiven yet?" he asked breathlessly. _


End file.
